Several families in Mwimuto Estate, Kiambu County, were on Tuesday left homeless after a fire burnt down their houses and destroyed shops.
According to reports, the fire which razed about 21 houses and 12 shops resulted from a gas explosion inside a business facility located near the residential area.
Witnesses who spoke to the press revealed that the fire began in the afternoon from the gas facility before it quickly spread to other buildings including houses and shops.
Despite concerted efforts by the locals to put out the inferno, the fire spread and burnt down the houses that were mostly built using timber.
Videos and images of the incident shared online showed residents holding horse pipes as they attempted to quell the inferno that had engulfed most of the building.
Some residents were recorded standing metres away from the scene while others were spotted collecting some of the remaining items from the fire such as iron sheets.
Moments later, firefighters from the Kiambu and Nairobi County Governments arrived at the scene and helped put out the fire which had already burnt most of the property.
“The fire began at around noon, our efforts to put out the fire proved futile so I decided to alert the police officers,” lamented one of the residents.
“All my property including my television, and seats have all been burnt, I do not have anywhere to go yet I have already paid rent.”
Speaking to journalists after putting out the flames, a member of the Disaster Management team in Kiambu County revealed that no single item was salvaged from the fire.
The latest occurrence comes hardly four days after several businesses were destroyed in Nairobi's Eastleigh's Estate after a mysterious fire razed a shop setting tyres.
The incident which took place on Friday, February 7, minutes past noon started at one of the buildings located along Eastleigh's General Waruingi Street, opposite Pumwani Hospital before it spread to other structures.
However, firefighters from the Nairobi County Government were quick to intervene and put out the fire which had already caused significant damage.
