Residents of Mlango Kubwa in Mathare, were gripped by fear on Wednesday morning following a fire incident that swept through the densely populated estate.
The fire erupted at around 9 am and quickly spread through the neighbourhood's houses and structures, which are mostly made of aluminium sheets.
Images and videos obtained by Kenyans.co.ke showed thick smoke and flames rising above the neighbourhood, alarming locals and passers-by using the adjacent roads.
By the time firefighters arrived, much of the area had already been destroyed, prompting residents to voice their frustration about the response time.
Emergency crews worked to contain the fire as residents joined in, using water cans and tins in a desperate attempt to save their homes and property.
However, exploding gas cylinders intensified the fire and added panic, making the situation worse and more chaotic.
Although no official confirmation of casualties had been received at the time of reporting, fears were growing that a child may have lost their life in the fire.
Many residents were seen fleeing with their belongings, and a number have now been left homeless.
The fire also caused major traffic disruption on Nairobi's Juja, Huruma and Eastleigh roads, with emergency vehicles struggling to navigate congested streets flooded with onlookers.
Locals at the scene said they believed an electrical fault may have started the blaze, though investigations to confirm this are likely to begin once the fire is fully contained.
Nairobi County’s emergency department had yet to issue a statement on the incident and the number of casualties at the time of publishing the story.
A larger part of Kenyan informal settlements has been synonymous with such incidents owing to the nature of the settlement patterns, which heavily rely on aluminium sheets for construction purposes.
