By John Mutiso
A massive fire broke out and engulfed numerous houses in Mlango Kubwa area in Mathare on Wednesday morning, December 10, causing widespread panic among residents.Â
The Kenya Red Cross Nairobi Branch, confirming the incident, issued an alert stating that the Nairobi Fire Brigade was currently on site with efforts to extinguish the flames underway.
“A fire outbreak has been reported at Mlango Kubwa area in Mathare, Nairobi County. The Nairobi Fire Brigade is currently on site, and efforts to extinguish the fire are underway,” the Red Cross stated.
According to local reports, the blaze erupted at approximately 9:00 a.m. in the Mlango Kubwa, Kianda section of Mathare, with initial suspicions pointing to a possible gas explosion as the cause. The fire quickly spread through the densely populated informal settlement, destroying several houses.
Fortunately, no casualties have been reported so far, although firefighters continue to battle the blaze to prevent further destruction and contain the spread to neighboring structures.
Witnesses at the scene have suggested that a gas cylinder explosion may have triggered the inferno, though authorities have not confirmed this.
