After a fire destroyed more than 150 families’ homes in Athi River, Machakos County, they were forced to spend the night night in the cold.
The event happened in Mavoko at the Slota estate in the Athi River Township.
Women, children, and the elderly were among those impacted.
When the fire started in their homes, the residents were either fast asleep or getting ready for bed.
Anderson Mbae, the commander of Athi River East Subcounty Police, reported that Saturday’s twilight fire destroyed property of unknown value.
Early on Sunday, at around 12.15 am, local assistant chief Martin Ngomo reported the incident as a fire incident to the Athi River Police Station.
According to Mbae, the administrator called the station to report the occurrence, which prompted police to hurry to the scene.
“He reported that there was a fire outbreak at Slota area. The OCS and his team together with DCI personnel rushed to the scene where it was established that the fire started from a single-roomed iron sheet–structured house and spread to adjacent households razing several iron sheets units,” Mbae said on Sunday.
Approximately 150 families were impacted by the destruction of properties of uncertain value. However, no injuries were reported, according to Mbae.
He claimed that the fire was confined by the Mavoko Subcounty fire brigade of the Machakos County Government, preventing it from spreading to other homes.
According to the police chief, the fire’s cause has not yet been determined.
the information available to him, the scene has been guarded while the crime scene detectives process the evidence.
Mbae stated that detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, based in Athi River police station, were already investigating into the event.
