Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
08 August 2013 08:55
Police stand guard following a fire at the international arrivals unit of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Nairobi, Kenya (AP)
Kenya's main international airport has been forced to close its arrivals area following an early morning blaze.
All in-bound flights to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport have been re-routed and black smoke was seen to be spreading across much of Nairobi as fire teams tackled the inferno.
Passengers in the fire-damaged arrivals area were evacuated and left stranded outside the airport with their bags beside them following the incident at 5am on Wednesday.
Reports say the area where passengers pass through immigration and collect their luggage has been severely damaged.
No injuries have been reported and flights due to arrive at the busy airport have been diverted to Mombasa, Michael Kamau, the cabinet secretary for transport and infrastructure, said.
The incident reinforces the importance of comprehensive travel insurance for anyone planning a trip overseas.
The closure is to allow firefighters to get the blaze under control, Kenya Airports Authority said. No notice has been given on when it is thought the airport will reopen.
The cause of the fire is not yet known and Kenya's anti-terror police chief, Boniface Mwaniki, said a full inspection would be carried out once the blaze has been extinguished. Until then, no judgement or speculation will be made, he added.
A British passenger, Martyn Collbeck, said: "When I arrived there were one or two fire engines parked outside the international arrivals. It spread very fast.
"There were a couple of explosions which I think were a couple of gas canisters. I would have expected more fire engines to respond faster."
17 August 2018
People living with HIV could be offered a long-lasting injection that controls the virus and protects patients from developing AIDS.
[more...]
16 August 2018
Holidaymakers in the UK will be hit by more train price hikes from next year, after the Government announced ticket prices will increase by 3.2% in January.
15 August 2018
A simple blood test could help GPs detect a rare form of bone marrow cancer much earlier, a new study suggests.
14 August 2018
Passengers arriving at Heathrow Airport last month faced queues of over two and a half hours at passport control, new figures have revealed.
11 August 2018
Hundreds of Ryanair flights will not take off as planned on Friday due to pilot strikes in five countries.
10 August 2018
Fad diets that cut out carbs while increasing fat consumption could lead to an increased risk of diabetes, according to new research.
09 August 2018
HIV testing has become even more accessible after a self-testing kit was made available from a High Street retailer.
08 August 2018
Women patients are more likely to survive a heart attack if they are treated by a female doctor, a new US study has revealed.
07 August 2018
The head of British Airways has branded two-hour queues facing travellers at Heathrow's passport control as a "border farce."
04 August 2018
Simple factors such as gender and body mass can help doctors to personalise care for patients with type 2 diabetes and avoid harmful side effects, according to a study.
03 August 2018
Gatwick Express must no longer claim it runs "non-stop to Victoria station in half an hour" and "in just 30 minutes" unless it can achieve the time in most cases, a watchdog has ruled.
02 August 2018
A charity is calling for greater access to respite support after it emerged that 72% of Britain's 700,000 young carers feel lonely and isolated during the summer holidays.