A series of fires in Malindi, Kilifi County, has left at least three tourist resorts counting losses within hours of each other.
The latest fire, reported on Wednesday morning, destroyed a number of luxury cottages at Harbour Key Cottages.
Another fire was reported early on Wednesday at Happy Side, where another hotel, Coral Key Hotel, burned down on Tuesday.
Several reports also indicate that the Harbour Key Cottages fire happened just a stone's throw away from the Oasis Village Hotel, another luxury tourist accommodation in the area, which burned down some time ago.
Even more concerning is the fact that this is the third villa to suffer the same fate in just a few hours, following two more fires between Tuesday and Wednesday.
An estimated 20 cottages have already been destroyed by the fires so far, and residents continue to blame the slow emergency response from firefighters.
Seasonal rates at Harbour Key Cottages start at Ksh12,000 per night, with each cottage able to accommodate at least five people.
Images and videos obtained by Kenyans.co.ke show some of the villas actively on fire as they are razed to the ground, while others show the plain walls and empty shells of what used to be inside.
Despite the urgency of the trend, the cause of these fires is yet to be determined.
Some theories suggest an arsonist running rampant in the area.
No official remarks from authorities have yet to be made concerning the rampant fires as of the time of the publication of this article.
On March 13, 2021, a similar fire razed down Oasis Village Hotel in the same area, consuming several parts of the multi-million shilling hotel.
