At least two people have been injured in an explosion outside a restaurant in Nairobi.
The blast, which was caused by an improvised explosive device, occurred shortly after 7pm outside Smothers Fast Food Restaurant on Tom Mboya
A police officer controls people from accessing scene of an explosion at Odeon Stage, Latema Tom Mboya junction, Nairobi, on January 26, 2019. PHOTO | JEFF ANGOTE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
Witnesses reported seeing a man pushing a trolley outside the restaurant. Seconds later, a huge blast was heard sending members of the public scampering to safety.
The incident was confirmed by the Central Officer Commanding Police Division (OCPD) Robinson Thuku.
According to a nation photographer on the ground, two people were taken away for treatment.
One of the victims suffered minor injuries on the leg after he was pierced by a shrapnel from the IED during the Saturday incident.
Officers from the Anti-terrorism police and the General Service Unit rushed to the scene and sealed it off.
So loud was the blast that it was heard as far as Koinange Street, causing panic and disrupting the vibrant Nairobi night life.
Police spokesman Charles Owino said anti-terrorism police had secured the scene and appealed to the public to stay away.
“It was a minor explosion and officers from the anti-terrorism police have sealed off the scene and we are asking members of the public to stay away from the scene completely and let the experts handle the matter,” he said on telephone.
The blast comes only days after terrorists attacked the DusitD2 Hotel on 14 Riverside Drive, killing 21 people.
Several people have been arraigned in court over the terrorist attack.
Source:Daily Nation
