Household property worth millions of shillings were last evening destroyed in Garissa town when a leaking gas cylinder exploded.
According to a neighbour Fatuma, Ali, the children could have accidently tampered with the gas cylinder lock that left the gas to escape.
The house help who wanted to prepare the 4 o’clock tea did not sense that the gas cylinder was leaking and as usual turned on the burner igniting the fire. No one was injured.
The couple were not around when the incident happened.
Fire brigade from Garissa County arrived minutes and with the help of members of the public had difficulty in putting off the fire because the compound is secured by a perimeter wall and the fire started from the rear. It took over 5 hours for fire to be put off
Fatuma urged parents to ensure electricals and inflammables items at home properly secured and children warned to keep off from them.
Nothing was salvaged from the three bedroomed house.
Other who spoke to the press also called on home owners to ensure the fire brigade and other emergency vehicles can access their compound in case of emergency or fire outbreak.
Mohamed Moulid said that many residential houses and estates in Garissa town are so squeezed together and they have no access roads to allow fire brigade and emergency vehicles in.
“The Garissa town planning and roads departments should come up with deliberate measures to ensure that all access roads are opened up. Otherwise we are starring at a disaster in the making here,” Moulid said.