Explosion shakes Kenyan capital

AL Jazeera English Africa

At least one person reported dead and 28 others injured after blast strikes building in Nairobi's commercial district. Last Modified: 28 May 2012 14:14 inShare9

The blast is the latest in a string of explosions to hit the capital since late 2010 [Reuters]

A blast struck a shopping complex in Nairobi's business district, wounding more than two dozen people, but there was confusion over whether the explosion was caused by a bomb or electrical fault. Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere told reporters on Monday it was too early to determine the cause of the blast. He said blackened wires inside the trading centre indicated a possible electrical fault and ruled out a grenade attack.  Two shopkeepers however, told the Reuters news agencies independently that they saw a man drop a bag inside the trading centre moments before the blast.  "He came into the shop twice, looking at t-shirts. He said he didn't have money so he left. Then he came back," said Irene Wachira.  "(He was) three shops away from where I was. He left a bag and a few moments later we had an explosion. The roof caved in and debris started falling on us," Wachira said.   'Terrorists' Television pictures on Monday showed a fire raging in a badly damaged building in Nairobi's commercial district. Al Jazeera’s Peter Greste, reporting from Nairobi, said "local TV showed pictures of a burning building with wounded people lying on the ground, possibly dead people". Prime Minister Raila Odinga said Kenyans would not be cowered by "terrorists", while a spokesman for Kenya Power, the country's sole electricity distributor, said initial investigations had ruled out any electrical malfunction. There has been a string of attacks in Nairobi and the port city of Mombasa blamed on Somali anti-government fighters and their sympathisers since Kenya sent troops into Somalia in October.

Source: Al Jazeera and agencies

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