Kenyatta International Airport on Wednesday,
causing extensive damage and a potentially
huge toll on Kenya's tourism and commerce.
The blaze had engulfed the airport's entire
international terminal, Ken Mijungu of CNN
affiliate NTV reported.
No casualties were reported from the fire,
which sent a large plume of thick black smoke
into the sky.
The airport will be closed indefinitely, the
Interior Ministry tweeted. No flights were
departing or arriving, and some flights were
being diverted to other airports.
Depending on how long the airport is closed,
the blaze could have a serious impact on the
flow of tourists into the country and the
export of agricultural products.
Nairobi is Kenya's capital and a major travel
hub in Africa. Fresh fruits and vegetables are
exported from there to Europe by plane many
times a week.
Battling the blaze
Fire engines were running dangerously low on
water during early stages of battling the
flames, the Interior Ministry tweeted .
But by Wednesday afternoon, the fire had been
contained.
Mijungu said parts of the duty-free area had
been demolished for construction last week,
but the cause of the blaze was not known.
Nothing has been ruled out, Kenyan
government spokesman Muthui Kariuki said.
Security is being ramped up at the airport, said
Josef Ole Lenku, Kenya's Cabinet secretary for
interior and security.
CNN's Brian Walker and Joseph Netto in Atlanta
and Kim Norgaard in Johannesburg c
Comments
Post a Comment