Panic has gripped parts of Nairobi's downtown area after a fire broke out at a building along Luthuli Street on Saturday evening, less than a week after a similar incident on January 6.
Images and videos obtained by Kenyans.co.ke show massive thick plumes of smoke emanating from the front-facing side of the building. This was around 6:30pm.
The smoke was seen on the top floor of the building, which, from our analysis, has five floors.
Moments later, massive yellow and red flames erupted, causing panic among Nairobi residents going about their business in the evening rush. The building on fire has a mirror finish on the front, and the fire on the fifth floor has destroyed much of it.
The building is nestled along Munyu Road at its intersection with Luthuli Avenue, part of the bus stop formerly used by Kenya Mpya buses.
The Nairobi County Fire Brigade is on the scene, working to extinguish the blaze and prevent further damage, while police have stepped up surveillance to deter potential break-ins in nearby businesses.
The Kenya Red Cross confirmed the incident, noting that their Red Cross Action Team (RCAT) has been activated to support the ongoing emergency response.
At the time of publishing, no injuries have been reported, but property worth millions of shillings is feared to have been lost in the fire.
The cause of the fire, which broke out just a few metres from the Ramogi building that caught fire earlier this week, and the extent of the damage are yet to be established. There were no immediate reports of injuries.
Authorities have urged motorists to avoid the area to facilitate emergency response efforts as rescue operations continue.
Meanwhile, in the earlier incident, an electrical fault during routine repair work was found to have triggered the devastating fire that destroyed property worth millions of shillings at the Ramogi Building.
This was revealed by the Central Police Commander, Philemon Otiemo Nyakong, who said investigations showed the blaze was sparked during electrical repair work carried out by a technician.
The commercial building, which houses several electronics businesses, quickly turned into a scene of panic and confusion as traders watched helplessly while the raging inferno destroyed their shops and stock.
