Massive gas truck explosion leaves three dead in Kenya's Nairobi, injures nearly 300

A truck loaded with gas canisters exploded in Kenya's capital Nairobi on Friday (Feb 2), setting off a massive fire that claimed the lives of three people and wounded 280 others, according to the authorities.

The explosion sent a huge fireball into the night sky close to the residential area in the southeast of Nairobi, shattering several buildings and damaging vehicles. The blaze also engulfed a nearby textile and garment warehouse.

The government said that three people had lost their lives in the blast at a gas refilling plant and 280 more were being treated at hospitals around Nairobi.

The Kenyan Red Cross released a statement saying that several others were being treated at a triage point.

"The fire caught up with me from almost one kilometre away as I was escaping," survivor Edwin Machio told news agency Reuters.

"The flames from the explosion knocked me down and burnt me on my neck," he added, taking off his shirt to show burnt flesh on his shoulders and upper arms.

Inquiry launched

The authorities have launched an inquiry into the incident to determine the cause of the explosion.

Reportedly, Douglas Kanja, Deputy Inspector of Police, said a guard at the site where the blast incident occurred, had been arrested and that the probe was underway.

As per the news agency AFP, residents said that they were fearful of such an incident taking place as the gas trucks were arriving almost every day in the Mradi area.

Kenyan government spokesman Isaac Maigua Mwaura said that the residential houses in the neighbourhood also caught fire with some still inside their homes.

The explosion ignited a "huge ball of fire that spread widely", he said in a statement.

"Consequently, the inferno further damaged several vehicles and commercial properties, including many small and medium-sized businesses," he added.

"Sadly, residential houses in the neighbourhood also caught fire, with a good number of residents still inside as it was late at night," Mwaura further said.

Kenya's Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) released a statement on Friday (Feb 2) stating that it had last year denied permission at least three times for the construction of a liquefied petroleum gas storage and filling plant at the site of the explosion.

"All applications were rejected as they did not meet the set criteria for an LPG storage and filling plant in that area," EPRA said in a statement.

"The main reason for the rejection was the failure of the designs to meet the safety distances stipulated," it said, noting "the high population density around the proposed site," it added.

(With inputs from agencies)