Entry Instance

HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept

{
    "id": 42139,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/42139/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 246,
    "type": "other",
    "speaker_name": "",
    "speaker_title": "",
    "speaker": null,
    "content": "(Prof. Saitoti): Mr. Speaker, Sir, I wish to make the following Statement. On 5th June, 2011 at about 11.30 a.m., one David Ng’ang’a, a customer service assistant reported that a massive explosion had occurred at the Shell Petrol Station along Kirinyaga Road. Security officers responded and found out that, at the petrol station, two fuel pumps were on fire. That fire was, however, put out by the Nairobi Fire Brigade within a period of about 30 minutes. On examining the scene, the officers made the following observations:- (i) That the explosion could have started from the rear of the Shell Petrol Station where there is unutilized underground space measuring about 1,800 cubic meters. (ii) Prior to the explosion, the underground space had been sealed by a perimeter wall against which there were two detached containers and two structures containing spare parts. (iii) The explosion had blown off the perimeter wall and turned the containers upside down extensively damaging nine motor vehicles and shuttering the windows of the nearby storeyed building - that is Ramhtulla House or otherwise known as Shabir Center - and the adjacent buildings. (iv) The Shell Petrol Station has four underground fuel tanks; one for paraffin, one for super petrol and two for diesel. Each of those tanks has a capacity of 30,000 litres. However, at the time of the explosion, diesel tank one had only 300 litres. Diesel tank two had 600 litres while the petrol tank had 250 litres. (v), On the surface, the petrol station had two huge cracks before the explosion and, as a result of the explosion, two additional cracks emerged, one on the external surface and another in the manager’s office. The investigating team comprising of officers from the Anti-Terrorism Response Police Unit, the Bomb Disposal Unit and the Nairobi Area Commandant have, so far, arrived at the following preliminary findings:- 1. That the explosion resulted to the death of two people, while 45 others are undergoing treatment. Those who were injured were taken to the following hospitals. A total of 21 people were taken to Kenyatta National Hospital and 14 were discharged as of 6th June, 2011. One person was taken to Aga Khan Hospital. Four people were taken to MP Shah Hospital and four to Getrudes Hospital. 2. Investigations indicate that the explosion was not terror related but accidental. Bomb disposal experts, in their opinion, suspect that the blast could have been as a result of petrol leakage, which accumulated in the unutilized space within the petrol station. That is partly because on physical check of the super fuel tank, it was established that 250 litres of super fuel could not be accounted for and, on the scene, no shrapnels were found. 3. The injuries sustained by the casualties were as a result of burns and scalds, while others were as a result of falling glass and flying objects. Other causalities were trapped under the vehicles and containers. 4. Huge cracks which emerged on the surface of the petrol station could have been caused by the pressure from the underground tanks."
}