page_title: Nairobi airport fire
section_title: The fire
hierarchical_section_title: Nairobi airport fire / The fire
caption_attribution_description: English: A view of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi.
context_page_description: The Nairobi airport fire occurred when, on 7 August 2013, a fire broke out inside the main terminal building at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya, destroying two of the three units contained in the building. No one was killed, but two people were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries. Incoming flights were diverted to Uganda, Tanzania, and other airports in Kenya.
context_section_description: At approximately 4:30 am local time, a fire originating in the immigration section of Unit I (used for international departures) rapidly spread to adjoining Unit II, which is used for international arrivals. The construction of the building (it was completed in 1978), a roof collapse in Unit I, and heavy traffic in the area hindered initial efforts to extinguish the blaze. Initial media reports showed some firefighters using buckets to fight the fire. Several groups, including the Kenya Army and firefighters from private companies, assisted in fighting the fire. After six hours, on-scene officials indicated that the fire had been contained.
  After the fire had been extinguished, businesses affected by the fire reported that items were missing from their businesses. Various reports indicated that first responders had looted fire-damaged businesses during and after the fire, leading some to believe that the fire could have been put out sooner had all the firefighters kept their focus on extinguishing the blaze. Tourists who were displaced by the fire also reported that they were assaulted by thugs who blocked access to the main gate, where the tourists were attempting to retrieve their belongings.
caption: The terminal building of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport as it appeared prior to the 2013 fire.
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