Several residents found themselves without homes following a fire outbreak in the Southlands, Kijiji area within Lang’ata Constituency on Saturday night.
The fiery blaze started a few minutes prior to 8 pm and was finally brought under control by 10:20 pm, as reported by the Kenya Red Cross.
“The situation has been successfully contained thanks to the collaborative efforts of the Nairobi City County fire team, the Kenya Red Cross, and Community Based Disaster Response teams,” stated the Kenya Red Cross.
Residents recounted that firefighters from the Nairobi County Government arrived approximately an hour later to tackle the fire.
However, according to some witnesses, the fire trucks arrived without water, hindering the firefighting process. This incident wasn’t the first time the disaster response team had arrived at a fire scene without water in their engine tanks, residents noted.
The rescue team also had to navigate through the crowded Onyonka Estate to reach the scene due to the dense businesses and residences in the Kijiji area. The fire originated within the heart of the residential zone, forcing residents to leave their homes to escape the raging flames.
The Kenya Red Cross further advised locals to refrain from putting their children to bed until the fire was contained to prevent them from inhaling toxic gases.
In the aftermath of the fire, numerous residents were compelled to set up makeshift shelters along the streets where they also kept their belongings such as mattresses, gas cylinders, and clothing items.
