A fire has broken out this evening at a godown along the busy Mombasa Road at the Namanga interchange.
Images seen by Kenyans.co.ke on Sunday, February 6, show huge clouds of smoke billowing from a warehouse that is adjacent to the Mombasa Cement factory.
Reports indicate that fire engines from Nairobi and Machakos counties are already at the scene, battling the inferno.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the godown engulfed in flames belongs to an international printing company.
At the moment, it is not clear whether there are any casualties or people trapped in the premises. Police are yet to release a comprehensive statement on the incident.
Images shared on social media further showed crowds of people milling along the stetch of the road to catch a glimpse of what was happening.
The fire has caused a traffic snarl up along the section of the road as motorists were asked to exercise extra caution. In addition, the inferno also poses a great threat to air travel as the dark and heavy smoke affected the flight approach path of the neighbouring Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA).
Experts advise witnesses and on lookers stay at a safe distance from such fires to avoid imminent danger, not just in the form of burning debris but also harmful fumes emerging from the raging fire.
The incident comes barely a week after a building in the Nairobi Central Business District (CBD) was engulfed in fire on February 1.
Three days prior to the incident, 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, added that conducting drills helps promote awareness to the occupants, the members of the public, and even the responders.
