A number of businesses in Nairobi's Kariobangi estate were on Wednesday, April 7, razed to the ground following a fire incident.
An eyewitness who spoke to Kenyans.co.ke, stated that the fire that occurred in the Githembe area started in the afternoon hours.
"The fire is suspected to have been caused by an electrical fault in one of the establishments," a resident told this writer.
Residents used buckets, twigs, and soil in an attempt to put out the fire and prevent it from spreading to the nearby buildings.
The businesses were left counting losses as their wares were destroyed in the fire even as they made every effort to salvage the little they could.
Residents gathered around the scene of the fire as some battled the flames.
No casualties were reported during the incident.
Fires in Nairobi especially in informal settlements are increasingly becoming a feature of urban crisis, with various design flaws in the settlements being an impediment during emergencies.
The National Disaster Operations Centre says Nairobi has seen an increase in the rate of fires, adding that drought, as well as dry and windy conditions, have exacerbated the frequency of fires in urban settings
In a previous interview, a County Director of County Fire and Rescue Services disclosed that electrical faults, cooking equipment, cigarettes, domestic violence, children playing and improvised lanterns had been majorly cited as the main causes of fire outbreaks.
"Illegal tapping of electricity and lose connections, and use of adulterated fuel in their paraffin stoves are the leading causes of infernos in the slums," he conveyed.
