One person has been injured after a fire broke out at a building in Bandari, Mombasa County, on Sunday, January 11.
The incident, which was confirmed by the Kenya Red Cross, happened on one of the buildings adjacent to Quckmart Bandari on Sunday afternoon.
Photos and videos obtained by Kenyans.co.ke show thick black smoke billowing from several rooms on the building’s top floor, indicating that the fire may have started in one room before spreading to others.
A multi-agency rescue team comprising the Kenya Red Cross and the Mombasa County Government Fire Brigade was dispatched to contain the situation.
According to the Kenya Red Cross, the individual injured in the incident was taken to Nairobi Women’s Hospital in Mombasa for treatment.
"A fire at a building adjacent to Quickmart Bandari in Mombasa was brought under control through the joint efforts of the Mombasa County Fire Brigade, Kenya Red Cross, and other emergency responders," Red Cross said.
"One casualty was taken to Nairobi Women’s Hospital, with two rooms destroyed and parts of the building partially damaged," it added.
Preliminary reports indicate the injured individual was a woman who sustained injuries at her area of residence. There are also unconfirmed reports that the fire could have been a case of arson from a civil dispute.
By Sunday afternoon, a large part of the blaze had been contained, although the inferno left a considerable part of the building with damage of an unknown value.
Fire outbreaks in buildings have been occurring at an accelerating rate nationwide, especially in major cities, with three incidents reported this month alone.
On Saturday, January 10, a fire broke out at a building along Luthuli Street on Saturday evening, less than a week after a similar incident along the same street on January 6.
The building, which caught fire at around 6pm, is located along Munyu Road at its intersection with Luthuli Avenue, part of the bus stop formerly used by Kenya Mpya buses.
The incident caused a standstill in the busy Nairobi Downtown area, and massive yellow and red flames erupted, causing panic among Nairobi residents going about their business in the evening rush.
On Tuesday, January 6, fire broke out in Ramogi Building along Luthuli Avenue, destroying property worth millions of shillings.
Central Police Commander Philemon Otiemo Nyakongo said investigations showed the blaze was sparked during electrical repair work carried out by a technician.
