Updated: Live stream of local KTN station, covering the fire live.
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Firefighters were struggling on Wednesday to contain a raging blaze that has forced the closure of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, witnesses and officials said.
A new photo shared by @MsRawxie appears to show the fire at JKIA Airport in Nairobi pic.twitter.com/o9UpFnm8WK
— BuzzFeed News (@BuzzFeedNews) August 7, 2013
Sad our airport on fire….. Hope everyone safe. God bless everyone. pic.twitter.com/FBIx7fwuwe
— Christopher Kirwa (@chriskirwa) August 7, 2013
The fire at east Africa’s busiest airport started at around 5 a.m. (0200 GMT / 10:00 p.m. Tuesday EDT) in the immigration section of the departure lounge and spread to the international arrivals area, a Kenya Civil Aviation Authority official said on condition of anonymity.
“No planes are departing or arriving – only emergency landings will be allowed,” the official said.
The fire comes less than 48 hours after a fuel jet pump failure caused huge delays at the airport, forcing some flights to be rerouted to the airport in the coastal town of Mombasa, Entebbe International Airport in Uganda and Kigali International Airport in Rwanda.
