STORY: 3 dead, 222 injured in gas explosion in Kenya's capital
SHOOTING TIME: Feb. 2, 2024
DATELINE: Feb. 3, 2024
LENGTH: 00:03:17
LOCATION: Nairobi
CATEGORY: SOCIETY

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the fire scene
2. various of the aftermath of fire scene
3. various of Kenya's deputy president inspecting the scene
4. SOUNDBITE (English): DOUGLAS KANJA, Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Kenya
5. various of the rescue efforts

STORYLINE:

At least three people were killed and 222 others injured in a gas explosion in Nairobi, Kenya, an official confirmed on Friday morning.
   
Government Spokesman Isaac Mwaura said the fire, which started at around 11:30 p.m. Thursday local time (2030 GMT), was caused by a truck loaded with gas cylinders that exploded, igniting a huge fireball that spread to a warehouse and a neighborhood nearby.
   
A flying gas cylinder hit a garments and textiles warehouse, burning it down, Mwaura said in a statement.
   
He said the fire also damaged several vehicles and commercial properties, including many small and medium-sized businesses, in the Embakasi neighborhood.
   
SOUNDBITE (English): DOUGLAS KANJA, Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Kenya
"Right now we have 271 people admitted in various hospitals in Nairobi. We have 21 who were treated on site here and allowed to go back to their homes, and we have three fatalities. As I have said, investigations have already started."

A video posted on social media showed a huge fire raging close to blocks of flats.
   
The Kenya Red Cross Society said a total of 271 individuals have been successfully evacuated to several health facilities in Nairobi.
   
The latest incident came after a fire broke out on Tuesday night near a local stadium in downtown Nairobi, injuring four people.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Nairobi.
(XHTV)