Gas cylinder explosion kills 13-year-old boy in Eastleigh
A 13-year-old physically challenged boy was killed in a fire that was caused by a gas cylinder explosion in Nairobi’s Eastleigh area.
Police and the family said that he was unable to escape when the fire broke out on the rooftop of a three-storey building and spread to the adjacent houses on Sunday evening.
The charred remains of the deceased were found later in one of the rooms after neighbours and the fire engines had contained the fire.
The fire destroyed property of unknown value during the incident.
Police said preliminary findings had shown the fire was caused by a gas cylinder explosion.
This is the second time such an incident involving a gas cylinder has been reported in the area in months.
In August, a gas cylinder explosion rocked the area full of residential highrise buildings which also claimed one life and left three individuals injured.
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The bustling commercial estate was thrown into disarray as the explosion sent residents and traders scrambling for safety suspecting it was a bomb.
Swift response from the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) and bomb disposal experts, accompanied by the Kenya Red Cross rescue team, managed to restore a sense of order to the chaotic scene.
The force of the explosion inflicted significant structural damage, causing portions of the building’s walls to collapse and resulting in widespread cracks, even on the stairwell leading to the second floor.
Earlier this month, at least four workers were injured in a gas cylinder explosion at a hotel in Nairobi’s South B area.
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The explosion happened at Frizzle Bites Restaurant as the staff there were busy preparing food.
The explosion also caused damage to the restaurant.
Police said they had confirmed the explosion was caused by a gas cylinder that was apparently in use at the hotel.
Officers from the Anti-Terror Police Unit were called to the scene and declared the cause to be a gas cylinder.
Some revellers who were present were injured but managed to escape the scene.
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