A fire razed several business stalls at the Kisumu Bus Park early Wednesday morning, leaving traders counting losses.
The blaze, which broke out around 2am, rapidly spread through the business premises, bringing the busy transport hub to a halt and igniting a desperate effort by traders to salvage their goods from the inferno.
Kisumu City Manager Abala Wanga, who was at the scene, confirmed the incident and expressed his sympathy to the affected business community. According to Wanga extent of damage caused by the fire is yet to be determined.
He added that while the Kisumu Fire Brigade managed to contain the inferno before it could spread further, a large section of the bus park was destroyed, and traders had "lost a fortune."
"A fire incident erupted last night at Kisumu Bus Park, prompting an immediate response from the Kisumu City Fire Brigade, who were on high alert and swiftly contained the inferno. I visited the scene to ascertain the effectiveness of the response. My deepest sympathies to those who suffered losses," Wanga stated.
“I was already at the bus park for work when we noticed smoke coming from one of the stalls. The fire spread very fast. Even though the fire was contained, a large section was destroyed, and the business community has lost a fortune," he added.
The chaotic scene was marked by the desperate attempts of residents and stall owners to pull what they could from the raging flames. Eyewitnesses recounted seeing smoke billowing from one of the stalls, which quickly escalated into a full-blown fire, destroying a wide variety of goods, including electronics, household items, and clothing.
Police and officials from Kenya Power have launched a joint investigation to determine the exact cause of the fire. As authorities assess the damage, the focus remains on supporting the affected traders and preventing similar incidents from occurring in the future.
The incident comes barely a week after another fire broke out in Kawangware Estate in Nairobi, leading to the destruction of properties of unknown value.
Videos that circulated online showed several buildings in the estate engulfed in huge clouds of smoke, with some of the residents trying to retrieve their properties.
According to reports, the fire broke out before 9 PM on Wednesday, August 30, and spread to other residential buildings, which housed people and businesses.
Residents were forced to seek help from the Nairobi county government to contain the fire, after attempts to put it off failed. Fortunately, no casualty was recorded during the incident.
Moments later, firefighters from the county government's disaster management team arrived at the scene to put out the fire, which had already consumed several properties.
After the incident, the Nairobi County government helped the residents access alternative shelters. Furthermore, security agencies also launched investigations into the incident to uncover what exactly led to the inferno.
