Witnesses’ tell of lack of preparedness in fighting JKIA fire

By ALLY JAMAH

Nairobi, Kenya: Passengers who were supposed to be flying out moments after the debilitating fire broke out said the response to contain the blaze appeared to be slower than expected.

This in turn led to its rapid spread and eventual destruction of the crucial building.

Two South Africans, Chris Maree and Adrian Adams, who arrived at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport shortly before 5am, said there was a slight smell of smoke in the air, but no one seemed particularly concerned.

But after a while an evacuation signal was sounded and all passengers were asked to leave the international arrivals unit.

“We didn’t see the fire engines active in work until a bit later when two came. The water they were spraying seemed too little to contain the fire. I think if the response was quicker, the fire could probably have been stopped,” said Maree.

The two were connecting through Nairobi to Accra for a leadership conference that was to start yesterday and Adams would have been the keynote speaker.

Another passenger from France enroute to Eldoret to see his girlfriend who declined to reveal his name said he arrived at the international arrivals area at 4am. As he waited for his flight to Eldoret, he heard airport officials asking passengers to leave the area due to a fire.

“Initially, the smoke from the immigration area appeared small. But I was surprised that it spread so quickly without being contained at the earliest opportunity. I have never heard of a major part of the airport burning almost to the ground. The emergency people should have responded much faster,” he said.

He said he did not see fire fighting engines for quite some time after passengers had been asked to leave the international unit.  He also expressed shock that the airport was not shut down sooner for response teams to work faster.