Nairobi regional commander Adamson Bungei has reassured residents of Mradi in Nairobi’s Embakasi area of their safety amidst fears of a possible explosion following claims of a fresh gas leak.
Swiftly responding to the alarm, Bungei visited the site to assess the situation and address community concerns.
He was accompanied by experts from the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA).
Addressing the press after a short exercise at the site, Bungei together with the experts told the press that all four gas tanks abandoned after Thursday’s explosion are empty.
“We have inspected the area and we have established that all four containers are empty. I can assure you as your security commander in Nairobi that you are safe now within this area,” said Bungei.
“Any minute, any time, my phones are always open for you for any support. Let us continue working together and feel free to volunteer any information that you may have,” he added.
Senior EPRA experts who spoke voiced similar sentiments saying the site is now free from any potential hazards.
Police were on Monday morning deployed to the area to provide security after reports of a smell of gas in the area.
This even forced the residents to flee their homes fearing for their safety.
Nairobi County disaster management chief officer Bramwel Simiyu said in a press briefing at the Embakasi social hall in the morning that they had taken the necessary precautionary measures.
Simiyu said they had evacuated the surrounding area and also invited the Energy Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) to come and assess the situation.
"We have asked them and the experts to come and identify and isolate the threat if any...we have also put our emergency services on standby," he said.
Meanwhile, police are holding a man said to be the owner of the gas station.
The businessman is said to have turned up at the police station accompanied by a lawyer and was grilled by detectives as the probe into the tragedy goes on.
“He is still talking to the team handling the matter. We will know more,” he said.
The details and identity of the man who surrendered were not immediately available.