Over 45 feared dead after supermarket blaze in Kenya

Jan 30, 2009, 17:02 GMT

Nairobi - As many as 47 people were missing and feared dead Friday after a blaze that destroyed a supermarket in Kenyan capital Nairobi.

Kenyan authorities, who only began searching the ruins of the building on Friday morning, two days after the blaze, said they had found 15 charred bodies so far.

The Kenyan Red Cross said it had registered the names of 47 missing people - five of them members of staff - and was counselling their families.

Family members of the missing gathered around the rubble on Friday, watching as mechanical diggers scooped up piles of twisted metal and charred wood.

One other person had already been confirmed dead: a staff member who died of spinal injuries after jumping from the roof of the building.

The fire broke out on Wednesday afternoon and quickly engulfed the busy downtown branch of Nakumatt, a popular supermarket chain.

Neighbouring buildings were evacuated as the blaze threatened to spread and a massive crowd gathered, hampering the efforts of firefighters.

Nakumatt on Wednesday evening issue a statement saying all of its staff and customers were safe, but the claim now seems to have been premature.

The blaze appeared to break out quickly, trapping many people on the upper floor of the supermarket. Some survivors reported hearing explosions, believed to be from gas cylinders, as the flames raced through the building.

Relatives of the missing say they their loved ones had called to say they were trapped.

Janet Odera, 40, one of the missing, called her brother Simon as the flames closed in around her, the Daily Nation reported.

'She called me and my brother Charles to say she was trapped in the fire and choking,' Simon Odera said. 'She said they were dying and asked us to pray for her.'

Some eyewitnesses said that the doors to the supermarket were locked to prevent looting as the fire broke out - a charge Nakumatt denies.

The building continued to smoulder all throughout Thursday, sending a spiral of noxious smoke up over the Nairobi rooftops.

Rescue teams were late Thursday still unable to enter the building, but early Friday began the grim task of retrieving the bodies.

Kenyan President Mwai Kibaki, who visited the scene of the fire on Friday, promised the state would help the bereaved families.

The Kenyan media, reflecting wide public anger, blasted the response to the fire, saying that the fire department had '18th century infrastructure.'