One person was on Thursday night pronounced dead following a gas explosion that occurred at a bookshop in Oyugis Town, Rachuonyo South Sub-County, Homa Bay County.
According to one of the witnesses, the middle-aged man whose identity is yet to be established died instantly after being struck by one of the gas cylinders.
Speaking to the press after the tragic incident, the area chief narrated that the deceased was standing about twenty metres from the scene of the tragedy when the debris hit him.
During the incident that took place a few minutes before midnight, several people were badly injured and were rushed to the Matata Hospital for treatment.
Videos obtained from the scene showed the bookshop wholly engulfed in smoke, with some residents captured attempting to salvage their property before the fire spread to other parts.
The footage also depicted locals standing in groups as they stared at the inferno from a distance. Meanwhile, others were heard shouting for help as efforts to put out the fire intensified.
While detailing the cause of the fire, Rachuonyo South police commander Philemon Saera revealed that the inferno began at a nearby shop before spreading to the next shop where the gas cylinders had been stored.
Moments after the occurrence, police officers arrived at the scene and cordoned off the area to pave the way for investigations. However, the cause of the fire is yet to be established.
The latest tragedy adds to the number of fire incidents reported in the country in the last three months. In a similar incident in September this year, a fire broke out at a petrol station in Ngara, Nairobi County, razing an unknown value of the property.
The fire which began at around 10pm on September 1, also burnt shops located along Desai Road. However, no injuries were reported from the inferno.
Images and videos obtained from the site showed several buildings covered in smoke with a multi-agency team consisting of the disaster management team from the Nairobi County Government attempting to put out the fire.
Hours after concerted efforts, the firefighters managed to put out the flames with police officers arriving after the fire had completely burnt down the buildings.
