Another fire guts vehicles at Kenyan police station, causes scare

KENYA: Vehicles worthy millions of shillings were gutted by huge fire that broke out at the Machakos police station Sunday.

The fire that emanated from one of the vehicles with traffic offence cases packed at the station sent police officers and members of the public into total confusion.

The Machakos fire came just a day after Longonot Police Post in Nakuru County was totally razed down in an occurrence where six guns and over 400 ammunition were among property lost.

Officers who were busy working in Machakos had to hurriedly come out brandishing guns and took cover as others advanced to the scene.

Residents of the town were also attracted to the scene in large numbers with some assuming it was a terrorist attack.

On realising it was a fire incident, officers assisted by members of the public engaged in putting out the advancing flames but were overwhelmed until a fire brigade truck from the nearby county government emergency offices arrived.

At least five vehicles that included a Nissan matatu, one min pick-up and three saloon cars were gutted down before the fire was put off.

The station’s deputy traffic base commander Mr Jack Ila, said the fire whose cause was not immediately established originated from one of the vehicles and advanced to the other four.

''It was just luck that the fire machine arrived on time to contain the fire before it caused a much bigger damage,'' he said adding that the incident was the first of its kind at the station.

He estimated the loss to be between two and three millions shillings.

Mr Ila thanked members of the public for showing solidarity with them.