‘Burnt Like Firewood’: Nearly 100 Dead in Kenyan Pipeline Fire Possibly Caused By Cigarette Butt
- Posted on September 12, 2011 at 10:45am by
Christopher Santarelli
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A vicious fire has broken out in a slum within Kenya’s capital Monday, after a leaking gasoline pipeline exploded. Reports say the inferno has killed at least 61 and possibly even more than 100 people.
For example, Al Jazeera says more than 100 people are feared to have burned to death in the fire that took place in Nairobi’s densely-populated Lunga Lunga industrial area. The Telegraph has video of the graphic aftermath:
“We are putting the number of dead at over 100, we are waiting for body bags to put the victims into,” Thomas Atuti, a local police commander, told Al Jazeera.
One local resident told the AFP news agency: “I have never seen this in my life. I have seen women and children burnt like firewood. The very worst was a woman burned with her baby on her back.”
Flames leaped out from the pipeline in a radius of some 300 yards (meters), setting shacks ablaze and incinerating scores of people. Reporters later saw clusters of charred bodies and blackened bones at the site. Some burned bodies floated in a nearby river filled with sewage. Homes had been built right up to the pipeline, the residents said. The flimsy homes of corrugated iron sheets would have offered little resistance to the blast.
At the time of the explosion, the narrow, twisting alleyways would have been packed with people on their way to work or school who had stopped to try to scoop up fuel. “People were trying to scoop fuel from the pipeline,” a Red Cross official told AFP by telephone.
The Red Cross was conducting search and rescue operations and had set up two tents for first aid and counseling, said Bernard Magila, who was helping the operation. Bodybags and materials for temporary shelter were also being provided.
The deputy police spokesman Charles Owino told Reuters that the fire was ignited by a cigarette butt that was tossed on to the dyke, which opens into a small river. The Kenya Pipeline Company, who operate the pipeline, had told the prime minister that the explosion was caused by a leak from the pipeline into nearby sewage, he said.
Provincial Commissioner Njoroge Ndirangu said that at least 61 bodies have been recovered so far, but said the death toll from the blast will rise.
Fires still smoldered among the twisted wreckage of corrugated iron sheets and scattered possessions. Visibility was poor because of rain and smoke.
Nearby, a young woman clawed through smoldering timbers, screaming in grief. Others wandered by the remains of the inferno, frantically dialing phone numbers that didn’t go through or staring around in disbelief.
Resident Joseph Mwangi, 34, said he was feeding his cow when people went running past him, calling out that there was a leak in the pipeline. He said others started drawing fuel and that he was going to go and get a bucket and get fuel too when he heard an explosion around 9 a.m. By then fuel had leaked into the river and parts of the river had also caught fire. People in flames were jumping into the fiery, stinking mess, he said.
Moments after speaking to the AP, Mwangi discovered two small charred bodies in the burnt wreckage of his home.
“Those were my children,” he said blankly, before collapsing on the ground sobbing.
Another man, Michael Muriuki, found the body of his 5-year-old daughter still smoldering. He ran to the river for water to put her out. He took a deep breath and struggled for control before speaking.
“Her name was Josephine Muriuki. She was five,” he said.
At least 112 burn victims have arrived so far at Kenyatta National Hospital and they urgently need blood donors and blankets, said Richard Lisiyampe, the head of the hospital. Many children were among the victims. Most had burns covering more than a third of their bodies, he said. Some were unrecognizable, said St. John’s Ambulance Service spokesman Fred Majiwa.
Inside the hospital, beds were crowded together and doctors and nurses rushed from victim to victim. Many had long strips of skin hanging from their heads and bodies. One man picked at his hands distractedly, peeling off skin like gloves.
“This is a terrible accident,” said Prime Minister Raila Odinga, who visited the wounded in hospital. He said the government would cover medical expenses for the injured and pay compensation to those who lost loved ones.
In 2009, at least 120 people were killed when they were trying to scoop fuel spilled from a crashed petrol tanker in Kenya and it exploded. It was confirmed that cigarette set off that blaze.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Comments (46)
LovinUSA
Posted on September 13, 2011 at 10:58amIs Obama on his way over? It is his homeland, I would think he would be a large contributor to aid these poor victums, hopefully he would be smart enough to use his own wallet this time. May God heal them.
Report Post »Eblaze44
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 6:20pmThe cigarette butt did NOT cause the fire – the fire was caused by some “person” that put the butt in the wrong place. Guns don’t kill, neither do bullets – people who load the gun and pull the trigger kill.
Report Post »neidermeyer
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 9:31pmIn almost every instance of a pipeline “leak” it’s somebody attempting to steal fuel.
Report Post »Sicialian Eyeball
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 5:50pmThere is no way to help the imbeciles. And the nit wits of America elected a Kenyan president. Crispy critters comes to mind.
Report Post »Eliasim
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 8:45pmIt says in the article that the people built their homes right up to the pipeline. Wasn’t Michelle Obama just in Kenya championing their progress and their system of government? Sounds like Kenya is full of imbeciles.
Report Post »gmoneytx
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 4:54pmPass this bill!
Report Post »raynbene
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 4:48pmThis is not the first pipeline/gas/explosion story out of Africa – there must be a couple, maybe even more, each year. As always, we are treated to pictures hot off the www of burned ‘victims’, and the story is always the same – someone ‘may have thrown a cigarette butt’ which caused the fire, etc, etc.
Can there ever be any progress in Africa, or are these poor people doomed to just repeat and repeat these disasters, because they cannot earn enough to buy gas, or is it just too easy to try to steal gas and put themselves and anyone near them at great risk ? Don’t even ask why they were living so close to a gas pipeline . .or how the pipe got broken . .
Report Post »Chuck Stein
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 7:32pmMany of these pipeline stories are from Nigeria. They break open the line to get free fuel. So sad and so preventable with just a bit of common sense.
Report Post »21stCenturyPatriot
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 4:44pmThere are very few things in Kenya kept in good shape. I’ve often seen people on the sides of the road in Kenya and Tanzania selling gas from any type of container they could find. I actually had to buy some once when I was leaving the Serengeti on empty and there were NO open stations. Not sure where they got the gas but it got me back to my hotel. Stealing in Africa is the norm not the exception. They often look at life quit differently there. It seems that life is pretty cheap and they don’t take many precautions. I‘m surprised there aren’t more deaths like this.
Report Post »roadhog
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 4:22pmI bet that some one was trying to Tap into the pipeline stealing fuel and Was smoking.
Report Post »Windsong
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 3:52pmWas the cigarette made of tobacco or marijuana? Either one is deadly…………..
Report Post »lengid67
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 3:44pmThat is so sad. A stupid smoker caused all this destruction. The weed will take you out in more ways than one. Take your stupid self out, don’t harm others because you have a filthy habit.
Report Post »Elena2010
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 3:53pmThese poor people!
Why is this pipeline not buried deeply underground?
Report Post »TomFerrari
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 2:55pmHorrific loss of life.
God grant them mercy, comfort, and peace.
Does this mean new cigarette labelling laws coming? i.e., Don’t smoke near millions of cubic feet of explosive gas.
Smoking will kill ya.
Report Post »Bernard
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 2:48pmMy condolences to those who fell victims to this disaster. Now the question is whether this is a man made disaster. It is fairly common in the third world where the poor steal electricity from electric lines to gasoline from such pipelines. If not then whoever is responsible for the maintenance of that pipeline should be sued.
Report Post »Thus said the question arises whether the US will pour precious dollars to help those Kenyan victims. My answer is we will, especially under Obama
thegreatcarnac
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 2:33pmLook how these people in Kenya live. Look how they react. This is what the US is going to become if we keep letting in third world trash and catering to minorities.
Report Post »COFemale
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 2:07pmI guess Obama forgot to tell his Kenyan buddies that gas and fire don’t mix. People in these third-world countries are truly ignorant when it comes to pipeline safety. You’d think that Obama, being part Kenyan, he’d try to get the Kenyan government to implement the same regulations our EPA is trying to implement here? I guess screwing pipeline companies in Kenya isn’t on the top of his agenda, just screwing over our gas, oil nuclear industries
Report Post »Exrepublisheep
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 2:44pmThia was obviously an Obama plot to stop the Keystone pipeline. There were matches at the scene from the whitehouse found at the sight. Oblama is trying to kill all Kenyans so no one can remember him being born there. Soetero a commie.
Report Post »Chuck Stein
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 7:34pm@ Exrepublisheep
Report Post »Your post has all of the logic of Obumbler’s economic policies.
dontbotherme
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 1:19pmOh, God be with them! How horrible!
Report Post »Redscot
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 1:06pmThe Red Cross is an organization I will never again support. The money that was given to them for 9-11 and for Katrina was thrown into their pockets and those in need did not get it.
Report Post »The quote from one guy said it all, people were going over to a leak to get free gas. It is awful to be burnt. I know, I have been. The problem is going to be the money for true health care for the patients.
I hope our ‘president’ doesn’t decide they need some of our money. Of course he will and we will just put one more charge on the huge tab.
PoliticalJunkieToo
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 12:43pmDon’t send any USA taxpayer money there. We have our own people to help.
If the Red Cross wants to use VOLUNTEER funds – go for it. NOTE: Before you give to the Red Cross ,Google how much their “officers” are paid and their lavish retirement packages. I was a “volunteer” coordinator for a military hospital of over 180 volunteers and fully 50% or more of the volunteers flat out REFUSED to join the Red Cross Volunteers and instead created a 2nd volunteer program.
My eyes were also opened as to the corruption of the Red Cross when being “voluntold” to be the “blood coordinator” for my unit on and off for years. Blood is BIG MONEY!!! A pint of “free” donated blood is worth hundreds when broken down. Taxpayers pay a lot of money keeping their military and their dependents healthy and up to speed on immunizations, etc. so their blood is PRIMO because it is likely to be healthy and disease free and worth a lot of money on the open market. (unlike purchased blood). The Red Cross tried to KEEP community blood banks OUT of military installations so they could keep all the primo blood for themselves.
Report Post »oneshiner
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 1:24pmNot at all surprised. I remember from WWII, many military would not support the Red Cross because during the war, the Red cross charged for coffee & donuts, while the Salvation Army gave them out free.
Report Post »There are a number of stories like this. I’m sure the Red Cross does good work, but I’d rather give to an organization that gives the majority of donated money, etc. to help others instead into the pockets of the administrators.
The 700 Club supports “Operation Blessing” who do more work than the rest of ‘em and is always
first at any disaster helping people, yet we never hear anything about them on our news programs, (MSM) and I‘ve often reflected it’s because it‘s a Religious organization which goes against the Main Street Media’s thinking: “WE (they) give NO publicity to religious organizations who help others.”
lemmings4obama
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 1:24pmIf we believe that donating blood is a good thing to do, then who should we donate to? I’ve always done Bonfils, any recommendations?
Report Post »RightPolitically
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 12:34pmMy prayers are with these poor souls. Although tragedies can strike anywhere, The Third World, which I’m afraid America is slowly turning into, certainly has more than its fair share. Terrible!
Report Post »Plan B
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 12:26pmOh how horrible. may God be with them…
Report Post »DimmuBorgir
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 1:08pmha ha ha
Report Post »dontbotherme
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 1:20pmPlan B – Amen to your prayer. God bless these poor people.
Report Post »ellietoo
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 12:12pmPipe lines are perfectly safe if kept in good condition. This one obviously was not in good condition. People were living right next to it. As yet Canada and the U.S. do not have that type of living conditions. We still value human life and are a productive people. These poor souls did not have a chance. I wonder what price their government will put on the lives of those burned to death?
Report Post »PoliticalJunkieToo
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 12:36pmI bet money meant for pipeline repair went to line some politicians pocket or for another project.
The USA cannot talk. New Orleans politicians did the same thing for YEARS with levy money so they have blood on their hands also. New Orleans businesses pay into a “levy” tax and have for YEARS yet the levies were NOT in good repair when Katrina hit. It is OBVIOUS that New Orleans business levy money went into the pockets of politicians for some pork project to get a politician re-elected. I cannot say I feel sorry for the people of New Orleans who STUPIDLY build homes on sinking (1-2 feet a year) SWAMPLAND. Notice the French Quarter built high and not on swamp ground fared well.
Report Post »Taquoshi
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 1:07pmPoliticalJunkie,
As I understand it, the New Orleans levies were known to need work, but the EPA prevented the Army Corps from doing anything to them because of environmental concerns. So, it seems like it was just a matter of time before the perfect storm happened. I’m not sure what animal or aquatic life was “threatened”, but which ever one it was got hit just as hard by Katrina.
Report Post »oneshiner
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 1:32pmLousiana is my home state, but in all the years I can remember, people always talked about how this state supported corrupt politicians and kept voting for them. Kinda like we keep doing for most of the corrupt democrats in office now. Families in politics keep the people down & out and keep voting for the same thing. I’m not surprised about the Levy tax used for other projects while these people lived there under sea level just hoping & praying the Levy’s would hold. The Long family had a good hold on them.
Report Post »Seems to me, even the poor would get smart and change how politics run their state. Then, perhaps they could start living a better life with serious leaders who aren’t lining their personal pockets.
Pastor Ray
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 1:50pmAs yet Canada and the U.S. do not have that type of living conditions.
Report Post »And WHO is in OUR White House???
TH30PH1LUS
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 11:55amHorrible.
Report Post »Vickie Dhaene
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 11:45amMay God lift their souls the Peace and Eternal life.
Report Post »westfayetteville
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 12:22pmAmen
Report Post »vennoye
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 11:40amHow very sad for everyone. These poor people just can’t seem to catch a break anywhere. How I wish the money we sent there helped the people instead of corrupt governments!
Report Post »tj12358
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 11:37am“Burt like fire wood” Of course it now makes sense to build a pipeline from Canada to Texas.
Report Post »tj12358
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 11:57amThanks Biohazard for pointing out my typo.
Report Post »I know you never do that. Thanks for being my perfect mentor.
biohazard23
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 11:59amAnytime.
Report Post »Fly Old Glory 24/7 365
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 12:00pmto compare this to the US/Canada pipeline is like comparing your intelligence to that of a nuclear physicist….
Report Post »SpankDaMonkey
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 11:28am.
Report Post »Burnt like firewood, now that’s just a nasty way to go…..Pray for those folks……
loriann12
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 12:11pmYea, ask my dad…..he got burnt by gasoline when he was 22. Awful way to go.
Report Post »NuffSaid
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 11:28amI didn’t realize you could set fire to a pipeline with a lit cigarette. I thought you needed a leak in the pipeline first, maybe a leak where the locals were stealing from the pipeline? Maybe a leak which should have been repaired by a highly paid Union worker? Was there anyone in the crowd who may have detected the odor of the leak? I know you can’t smell pipeline, but usually something volatile has an odor.
They should probably start putting warning labels on pipelines. Probably should be audio announcement. every 10 feet or so. Africa really needs its own EPA.
Report Post »RA0725
Posted on September 12, 2011 at 12:36pmMost likely the people were trying to steal fuel from the pipeline. Unscrewed a pipe plug or something. This happens in Nigeria pretty often, and other regions of that continent where economies have collapsed and poverty is the new “equality” (except for the ruling class).
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