Gikomba up in flames again

Piece by: star.writer
Entertainment

A section of Gikomba market, Nairobi, has been gutted by fire in another in the series of market infernos, most of them arson.

Firefighters rushed to the scene soon after it broke out at 3 am at Line 42.

Witnesses say the fire razed shoe and apparel stalls. An alarm was rung in efforts to ensure swift intervention.

 By 6 am, many stalls had been destroyed. The fire was, however, put out before it could spread to the rest of the market.

"The fire has been contained, thanks to Nairobi County Fire Brigade and the NYS. No casualties were reported," the Kenya Red Cross said.

The market has been facing a series of fires. The county government had sought to assure residents that this would come to a stop. It is building a market in the area to fix the problem. But it seems there is still no end in sight to the now-too-familiar calamity.

On November 7 last year, a fire erupted at the market at dawn and destroyed many shops. Earlier on June 28, 15 people died and more than 60 others were injured after timber and second-hand clothes (mitumba) went up in flames.