NAIROBI, Kenya
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Kenya’s main aviation hub and a regional gateway for air travellers, has been closed following a dawn fire that has reportedly destroyed its arrival unit.
The fire is said to have started from the Immigration area. The major fire broke out at around 4am, according to witnesses, and a combined fire brigade is still battling it six hours later. The airport has been cordoned off by the paramilitary General Service Unit (GSU) and air operations suspended. No casualties have been reported.
Interior Principal Secretary Mutea Iringo, who spoke to the Nation on phone from the airport, confirmed the closure described the inferno as “so serious.” Head of Security at Kenya Airports Authority Eric Kiraithe said: “By our own standards this is so big.”
An airport official who arrived there at 5am said he found smoke billowing from the terminal. Mr Kiraithe said planes already on the runway were being cleared to pave way for emergency landing adding that they were liaising with the police to clear Mombasa Road.
“The immediate step at the moment is to clear the Mombasa highway for emergency purposes,” he added. Another official said that water hydrants had failed. Emergency services from the military, fire brigade, Nairobi County and Kenya Red Cross are still battling the fire at 8am.
Meanwhile, national Carrier Kenya Airways has just issued the following statement:
Regarding the fire at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) we would like to inform all our customers and stakeholders that all our incoming and outgoing passengers are safe. There will be certain disruptions on our operations and as soon as we get clarity on the extent of the damage we will advise everyone on what we intend to do.
Flights coming into JKIA have been diverted to Mombasa. Transiting passengers have been taken to hotels. Other flights from Nairobi have been temporarily suspended. Further updates on the situation and resumption of normal operations will be provided in an hour. Please bear with us as we understand the situation more clearly.
Dr Titus Naikuni Group Managing Director and CEO Kenya Airways
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