Explosion of a tanker truck in Kenya: the anger of residents of the Embakasi district
A truck loaded with gas canisters exploded shortly before midnight on the night of February 1-2, in the popular residential area of Embakasi, in Nairobi. The explosion took place at an “
illegal
” storage site, according to the East African Petroleum Institute. After a night of horror, shock and anger mount in Nairobi.
Residents of the Embakasi neighborhood of Nairobi help put out a large fire, January 31, 2024. REUTERS - THOMAS MUKOYA
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With our correspondent in Nairobi,
Albane Thirouard
Houses destroyed, businesses burned... Material damage is significant in the Embakasi district. Several residents search among the rubble to try to recover some belongings. Boniface Kobi returns to him from the hospital. This 29-year-old has his right arm and leg covered in bandages. “
I was here at home last night when I heard an explosion. Then the fire started when we were trying to escape. That's how I was burned, on my arm, my leg and even my head. I came back here to see if I could find somewhere to sleep tonight. I have nothing left, my house was completely burned down.
»
The tragedy took place during the night, when a truck loaded with gas canisters exploded, causing a fire. Emergency services were mobilized throughout the night, and the flames could only be contained around 9 a.m. this Friday morning. Three people lost their lives and 280 were injured, according to the Kenyan government spokesperson.
Benson Mutiso shows us with despair the grocery store in which he worked. The ceiling collapsed. Inside there is nothing but debris. Benson was there last night. “
Everything is destroyed. In ten minutes the fire was there, it was huge, it covered everything, from top to bottom. I'm still in shock. So many people were injured. I have nowhere else to go, no other job. Yet I have to feed my family and pay my rent...
"
In Nairobi, after the fire, January 31, 2024. REUTERS - MONICAH MWANGI
Site owner already convicted
Anger has spread among the residents. They denounce the storage of gas cylinders in this very dense residential area. Kizito Obinda and Erick Charles both saw their apartment destroyed by flames. “
The explosion happened when I was returning home, there were people running in all directions, many were hit... It's very, very risky to have a factory like this where the people live.
» ; “
It’s negligence. The government must control all these investors, so that they find a more suitable place.
»
The East African Petroleum Institute said in a statement that the explosion occurred at an "
illegal
" liquefied petroleum gas filling and storage site. The owner had already been sentenced in May 2023. The Energy and Oil Regulatory Authority said it had refused three times last year requests for authorization for the installation of such a factory on the site. site where the explosion took place, due to the high population density nearby.
For Lola, a resident of the adjacent neighborhood, the authorities must do more: “
There must be security checks. Do the factories have the necessary authorizations? Are there any cases of illegality? The authorities cannot wake up when people have been injured. It makes me very sad, as a Kenyan, to see that such an incident was allowed to happen in 2024.
”
The Vice President of Kenya, Rigathi Gachagua, said on the social network X that those responsible would be held accountable for their actions.
Residents of the Embakasi district between incomprehension and anger, February 2, 2024. REUTERS - MONICAH MWANGI
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