Gas cylinders at depot explode causing damage in Donholm estate

Panic gripped many residents when cylinders at a gas depot exploded on Friday morning causing a huge fire in Donholm estate in Nairobi.

Residents woke up to loud noise after a gas station next to a popular eatery exploded, sending shockwaves across the neighbourhood.

The explosion is suspected to have been caused by one of the leaking gas cylinders that was full. It then caused a massive fire as workers there dashed to grab fire extinguishers to fight it off.

Witnesses reported hearing multiple loud blasts followed by a raging fire that lit up the sky.

Flying gas cylinders and debris shattered windows of the nearby buildings, damaged vehicles, and left terrified families running out of their homes for dear lives.

They said they had memories of an incident where gas site exploded in 2024 and killed 10 people. More than 300 others were injured in the incident in Mradi area, Embakasi, Nairobi. The matter is still pending in courts.

Donholm area is one of the densely populated estates. Many dashed to their windows on hearing the explosions from the gas cylinders and took images of the developing inferno.

Emergency service responders rushed to the scene to contain the inferno and assess the number of casualties, though the full extent of injuries and damage is not clear yet.

The locals called for stricter safety checks on eateries and fuel stations operating side by side.

Police said they had not established if there were casualties in the incident.

Experts were on the site to know more, police said. The team wants to know the cause of the fire and explosion. A crowd surged at the site as the emergency service providers responded there.