Police Issue Orders After Residents Report Gas Leak At Site Of Embakasi Explosion [VIDEO]

the residents had indicated that they had noticed an ongoing leakage from the illegal plant where the blast had occurred.

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Feb 5, 2024 - 11:22 Updated: Feb 5, 2024 - 11:58
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Police Issue Orders After Residents Report Gas Leak At Site Of Embakasi Explosion [VIDEO]
Aftermath of a huge explosion reported at Embakasi, Nairobi on February 2, 2023. /VIRAL TEA KE

Embakasi residents on Monday, February 5 issued an alert over a suspected gas leak at the spot where a huge explosion occurred on Thursday, February 1.

Reports reaching Viral Tea's newsdesk indicate that the residents had indicated that they had noticed an ongoing leakage from the illegal plant where the blast had occurred.

Further, they expressed their fear for their lives adding that the leak had been going on since Sunday, February 4, but no authority had come to the scene to address the matter.

Some of the residents were forced to evacuate their homes because of the impending danger barely a week after the deadly explosion disrupted their lives.

Here is the video:

“What is going on? There is another leak now everyone is running away. They are not moving the remaining gases at the plant, now there is a leak after every minute,” a resident lamented as she shared a video of the restless residents in the area.

Embakasi Police Commander Wesley Kimetto revealed that they received reports from members of the public that there was gas leakage from the blast site.

The police contacted Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) officials who were on their way to the scene to confirm whether the place had an underground tank and check if it was leaking. Nairobi Police Commander Adamson Bungei is among the officers who are at the site assessing the situation. 

"Swiftly responding to a reported gas leak where the recent fire tragedy took place in Embakasi, we have successfully advised and evacuated families to ensure their safety in a safer area," stated the Kenya Red Cross.

Police also advised residents living near the site to move out of their houses. 

This comes after the Thursday explosion has claimed six lives so far, with other casualties receiving treatment at various hospitals in the city. 

Government Spokesperson Isaac Mwaura revealed that seven people are in critical condition at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) and Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral & Research Hospital (KUTRRH).

KUTRRH has seen a total of 27 patients, with eight already discharged and 19 currently under care, including 10 males, six females, and three minors. KNH received 67 patients from the incident, with six in critical condition, suffering from severe burns.

President William Ruto ordered the dismissal, arrest and detainment of government officials responsible for allowing the operation of the illegal gas plant.

Already, the watchman who was guarding the property where the explosion occurred has since been arrested. 

The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) on its part revealed that four of its officials, who have since been suspended, had issued an Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) licence unprocedurally, with conditions that the owners ought to have met, including compliance with various laws in the construction of the LPG plant.

Following the accident, the Ministries of Interior and Energy announced that they would embark on fresh risk assessments of all LPG gas plants in Kenya, prioritizing the demolition of those found to be non-compliant.

Screengrabs of a huge explosion reported at Embakasi, Nairobi on February 2, 2023. /VIRAL TEA KE

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