Normal operations along Luthuli Avenue in Nairobi’s Central Business District were disrupted this evening after a fire broke out at Ramogi Building, a multi-storey complex that hosts several electronic shops on its ground floor.
Eyewitnesses said thick smoke billowed from the building around past 6pm, forcing pedestrians and motorists to flee the area.
Traffic along the busy thoroughfare was temporarily halted as firefighters rushed to contain the blaze.
In images and videos showed the fire appeared to have started on the first floor and eventually spread to uncontainable levels after a few minutes.
Moments after the inferno started, a huge crowd gathered at the scene, although no one attempted to put out the flames, which had already destroyed a considerable part of the building.
The cause of the fire is yet to be established, and authorities have not confirmed if there were any casualties or injuries.
Shop owners and employees were seen evacuating merchandise and equipment, while onlookers gathered at a safe distance to watch the emergency response.
At the time of publication, the Nairobi City County Government had not yet issued a formal statement on the fire.
By evening, however, the blaze had been contained, though large clouds of smoke continued to rise from the building, indicating that flammable materials had been consumed in the inferno.
