Nakumatt Fire Tragedy : The Lessons and Questions
As the Kenyan nation mourns the loss of lives following the Nakumatt fire tragedy, questions about the events surrounding that fire continue to increase.
Just what happened? Why were the doors shut if a mobile phone video clip (shot by a passer-by when the fire started) aired on KTN is anything to go by? Is it true that when emergency workers tried breaking the emergency exit they found a concrete barrier, a wall instead of a path through which humans could exit and save their lives? And if there was such a wall, does that mean that safety inspectors (from the council/government etc) have continued to turn a blind eye to such malpractices?
It is still too early to tell just what happened at Nakumatt Downtown but as the remains of the fire victims are removed and families continue mourning the loss of their loved ones, Kenyans will have to stock-take on a few matters regarding fire and safety. We need to be more assertive and ensure that no one takes issues touching on life and death lightly. We must be serious with development, security and the economy.
Many institutions including businesses, government agencies, private facilities, schools and even recreational facilities just don’t have the proper fire fighting capacity and rarely have fire drills to help people escape when there is a fire.
Are there any government agencies and officials who are supposed to ensure that these issues are taken seriously and the laws respected? Or is that there are some unscrupulous officials who just collect some bribes and turn a blind eye and later recline in shock and shame when they hear that a factory or institution has burnt down and that people got trapped and there was no exit through which they could save lives? I remember an incident when a glue factory along Mombasa Road caught fire and the employees died a dreadful death because there was no exit and their employers, if my memory serves me right, locked all doors fearing theft. I have a feeling that labour inspectors have never really taken that case seriously and that government should have locked up some people then to serve as a good example.
Nakumatt probably never imagined that such a fire could happen at its 24-hour store. But if the reports in the Daily Nation and the Standard are anything to go by, then there is the possibility that human error (of judgement) greatly contributed to the fire that took a huge toll on lives and property. It looks that there was no plan on how to handle customers during a fire. No one knew where to direct customers and what to do if there was a blackout. When the lights went off after an explosion and customers could only fumble in the dark while breathing in toxic fumes, a disaster was already quickly taking shape.
Kenyans should stand firm and demand proper investigations. They must be proactive and ask supervisors and managers at gyms, supermarkets, office buildings, schools etc to point out the nearest fire exit, fire extinguisher, assembly point etc. That way we will identify those in society who care less about us and care more about other material things,
I hope that there will be no repeat of fire incidents and the way they have been handled in the recent past. We need to move on and work hard and pray to God for success and safety.
Just what happened? Why were the doors shut if a mobile phone video clip (shot by a passer-by when the fire started) aired on KTN is anything to go by? Is it true that when emergency workers tried breaking the emergency exit they found a concrete barrier, a wall instead of a path through which humans could exit and save their lives? And if there was such a wall, does that mean that safety inspectors (from the council/government etc) have continued to turn a blind eye to such malpractices?
It is still too early to tell just what happened at Nakumatt Downtown but as the remains of the fire victims are removed and families continue mourning the loss of their loved ones, Kenyans will have to stock-take on a few matters regarding fire and safety. We need to be more assertive and ensure that no one takes issues touching on life and death lightly. We must be serious with development, security and the economy.
Many institutions including businesses, government agencies, private facilities, schools and even recreational facilities just don’t have the proper fire fighting capacity and rarely have fire drills to help people escape when there is a fire.
Are there any government agencies and officials who are supposed to ensure that these issues are taken seriously and the laws respected? Or is that there are some unscrupulous officials who just collect some bribes and turn a blind eye and later recline in shock and shame when they hear that a factory or institution has burnt down and that people got trapped and there was no exit through which they could save lives? I remember an incident when a glue factory along Mombasa Road caught fire and the employees died a dreadful death because there was no exit and their employers, if my memory serves me right, locked all doors fearing theft. I have a feeling that labour inspectors have never really taken that case seriously and that government should have locked up some people then to serve as a good example.
Nakumatt probably never imagined that such a fire could happen at its 24-hour store. But if the reports in the Daily Nation and the Standard are anything to go by, then there is the possibility that human error (of judgement) greatly contributed to the fire that took a huge toll on lives and property. It looks that there was no plan on how to handle customers during a fire. No one knew where to direct customers and what to do if there was a blackout. When the lights went off after an explosion and customers could only fumble in the dark while breathing in toxic fumes, a disaster was already quickly taking shape.
Kenyans should stand firm and demand proper investigations. They must be proactive and ask supervisors and managers at gyms, supermarkets, office buildings, schools etc to point out the nearest fire exit, fire extinguisher, assembly point etc. That way we will identify those in society who care less about us and care more about other material things,
I hope that there will be no repeat of fire incidents and the way they have been handled in the recent past. We need to move on and work hard and pray to God for success and safety.
posted by Kelele Leo @ 5:13 AM
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