Building Catches Fire in Nairobi CBD

Sunbeam Shopping Complex along Mfangano Street on fire on Tuesday, February 1.
Sunbeam Shopping Complex along Mfangano Street on fire on Tuesday, February 1.

A section of the Sunbeam shopping complex in Nairobi's Central Business District (CBD) was on Tuesday morning, February 1, burnt down.

Videos seen by Kenyans.co.ke showed smoke billowing from the fifth floor of the building located along Mfangano Street and adjacent to Shukrani Mall.

Reports indicated that the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) Fire Department responded swiftly and put out the fire.

It was not immediately clear what caused the fire, with sources indicating that there is a restaurant on the fourth floor of the building.

While no one was hurt during the incident, it reportedly caused a traffic snarl-up along the busy Mfangano Street as curious onlookers gathered around the scene.

Sunbeam Shopping Complex along Mfangano Street on fire on Tuesday, February 1.
Sunbeam Shopping Complex along Mfangano Street on fire on Tuesday, February 1.
Sunbeam Shopping Complex along Mfangano Street on fire on Tuesday, February 1.
Sunbeam Shopping Complex along Mfangano Street on fire on Tuesday, February 1.

By the time of going to press, neither NMS nor Nairobi City County had issued a statement about the fire.

On January 29, officials from the National Disaster Management Unit (NDMU) and the Nairobi City County Fire Department urged property owners to conduct regular safety drills to test their readiness for unforeseen events like fire.

They noted that it was important to conduct at least one safety drill annually to test preparedness in the event of fire emergencies. 

NMDU Chief Administration Officer, Cyrus Maina, noted that conducting drills helps promote awareness to the occupants, the members of the public, and even the responders.

Nairobi County Fire Department's Wilson Wanjiru explained that it was crucial for building owners to adhere to the law and conduct fire drills every 12 months.

“It is a legal requirement to do fire drills. A fire drill, according to the law, including the Occupational Safety and Health Act, 2007 and Fire Risk Reduction Rules, 2007, state that a fire drill should be conducted at least once every 12 months.

"Training and fire safety awareness exercises are crucial to the success of these drills,” he stated.

Below is the video.

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