Two people have been confirmed dead and several others injured after a dawn fire razed down dozens of houses in Sinai, off Lungalunga Road in Nairobi’s industrial area.
The fire that broke out at about 3 a.m., quickly engulfed the settlement, which was densely populated, thus, most of the huts were reduced to ashes, and more than 200 families were left homeless.
They were seen scouring the remnants of their homes that were burnt as they tried to retrieve some of their own items. These families who are distraught say they do not have anywhere to go, and now they are appealing to the area leaders, government agencies, and well-wishers for immediate help.
The authorities have already started the investigations into the fire with the first report indicating that it could have been caused by a short circuit.
Nevertheless, a full inquiry will ascertain the real cause, according to officials. The residents said that the fire was a disaster and that the fire ate up everything within a few minutes. “We lost everything that we had, and we can’t even say where to sleep tonight,” one survivor said.
This disaster has, once again, drawn the attention of the fire vulnerability in slums, which, because of the overcrowding and the narrowness of the streets that make it hard for the fire brigade to get through, usually spread rapidly.
