Angry residents blame fire brigade as car is reduced to a shell as they watch.
Scenes of the very unfortunate fire incident outside the Kiambu Huduma Centre in Thika where Kiambu County Government's disaster management preparedness were put into question. |
Friday, September 22,
2017, will forever be etched in the memories of Michael Karanja, an employee of
Mt. Kenya University as hi Toyota 96 station wagon was reduced to a shell as he
watched.
A section of Thika
residents blamed the Thika Sub-County fire brigade for their inactivity as the
car burst into flames as they helplessly watched.
While speaking to
the press, Charles Musila acknowledged that even though the firemen responded to
the incident in good time, but it was very unfortunate that the fire engine
failed to launch water to put off the fire, forcing them to use buckets and
other containers gotten from the neighbourhood.
“What was the use of
them coming here if they knew that their engine could not launch water? In fact,
were it not for them restraining us from putting off the fire with soil, we
would at least have saved part of this car,” said Musila.
He added that it was
very sad and unimaginable to see fire fighters resulting to buckets to put off
a fire of that magnitude whereas Thika was in record having four fire engines
from the county government.
Otherwise, a source
close to the department of fire notified us that two of the fire engines had
been grounded while the remaining two were malfunctioned and could stall too
anytime.
“There is either
negligence or some kind of sabotage by someone or some people in the county
government because other than the fire engines, most of the county government
vehicles are lying idle in the yard for various mechanical problems. Some of
the other worst hit departments are in the garbage collection where so many of
their tracks are grounded,” explained our source.
A speechless Karanja
could not hide his shock and disbelieve over the sad turn of events.
He said that, prior
to the incident, his car had no history of malfunction and it took him by surprise
when he noticed some funny smell as he approached the Thika Sub-County Stadium
roundabout.
“I have just arrived
from Engineer (Nakuru County) to attend a burial and I was about to drop my
friend just a few metres from here. It is then we noticed some funny smell from
the bonnet and decided to pull over to check,” said Karanja.
No sooner had they
pulled over had the engine burst into flames.
With the help of
some members of public, he pushed the vehicle away from the stadium stalls to
the parking yard of the Kiambu Huduma Centre. Some members of public helped him
to put off the fire using soil as they awaited for the fire brigade to arrive.
On arrival, the fire
fighters are alleged to have ordered the people to get aside to give them room
to put off the fire but their engine failed, forcing them to use buckets to put
of the fire.
By the time the
second engine arrived, the vehicle had already been reduced to a shell by the
fire.
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