City Affairs

Embakasi gas explosion: Survivors narrate ordeal

Beatrice Nduta, a resident of Mradi area in Embakasi East, Nairobi, who says she lost a Sh1.2 million business in the gas explosion, during an interview on February 2, 2024. (Photo: Abdirahman Khalif)

By Eastleigh Voice Reporter | Saturday, February 3, 2024

Janet and her neighbours found themselves on the rooftop, hopping from building to building while a large fire raged below.

2In the quiet neighbourhood of Mradi, Embakasi, chaos erupted in the dead of night, leaving residents traumatised and mourning the loss of three lives.

The cause? A devastating gas explosion that not only claimed lives but also rendered hundreds homeless and injured.

Janet Mkite, a 23-year-old resident and survivor, recounted the harrowing experience.

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"I was fast asleep, and the next thing I remember is me and my family running out of the house with no shoes and phones after our neighbour banged on our door and told us to run. Everyone was running without grasping what the entire situation was about."

People run for cover following a series of explosions in the Embakasi area of Nairobi on February 2, 2024. (People run for cover following a series of explosions in the Embakasi area of Nairobi on February 2, 2024. (Photo by LUIS TATO/AFP)

The explosion, followed by a loud blast, left the entire community mystified. Janet and her neighbours found themselves on the rooftop, hopping from building to building while a large fire raged below.

"The explosion revealed the heroic sides of families, protecting each other and trying to put out the fire despite the little to no water situation at Embakasi," she added.

The tragedy claimed three lives and left over 200 people injured.

As the community grappled with the aftermath, social media became a platform for blaming the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA).

People posted screenshots of WhatsApp chats dating back to 2017, revealing complaints about a gas company operating in a residential area.

This photograph taken on February 2, 2024 shows heavily damaged houses and shops, a day after a gas explosion in the Embakasi area of Nairobi. (Photo: LUIS TATO/AFP)

According to the Petroleum Institute of East Africa, the gas facility's proprietor and some clients faced a criminal case on November 9, 2020, at Milimani Court. Shockingly, the magistrate imposed a fine of Sh 500,000 or one-year imprisonment, a stark deviation from the mandatory minimum sentence of 20,000,000 or 5 years for the proprietor.

Mkite and other victims noticed gas leaks hours before the explosion. Even after the first explosion, Mkite returned to Mradi, believing the fire was out, only to be caught in a crowd fleeing a second explosion. A rush broke out, leaving hundreds injured and running for safety.

The tragedy has left hundreds homeless, wounded, and in despair, prompting questions about the placement of industrial plants in residential areas.

It is a grim tale of a tough economy intertwined with tragedy, emphasising the need for strict adherence to safety laws and regulations by all stakeholders.