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7 Feb 2024

Kenya: Gas-filling station where deadly explosion occurred allegedly "illegal"

Six people died and approx. 280 people were injured when a truck loaded with gas canisters exploded in the Embakasi neighbourhood of Nairobi on 1 February.

Kenya’s Directorate of Criminal Investigations have arrested a man accused of renting the "illegal" gas depot, along with three officials from the National Environment Management Agency (NEMA) accused of culpability over the tragedy.

Officials from the NEMA have been accused of wrongly giving a licence for the LPG filling and storage plant in such a densely populated area.

NEMA said that a company, Maxxis Nairobi Energy, had obtained a permit to operate a gas plant at the site in February last year. It said it had suspended four of its employees.

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