Property valued at millions of shillings went up in smoke on Wednesday afternoon in Homa Bay town when a fire razed business structures.
The fire whose cause was not immediately established consumed a number of stalls next to Twin Towers Hotel in Homa Bay Town.
The fire which started at around 5pm spread quickly to adjacent stalls mostly owned by small traders.
It also gutted timber stalls at the Homa Bay market and some sections of Homa Bay Jamia mosque.
Looters took advantage of the ensuing chaos to steal clothes and shoes from burning stalls.
It took the intervention of some officers from Homa Bay police station to stop the theft.
Members of the public had difficulties trying to control the fire from spreading to Twin Towers hotel.They used portable fire extinguishers and water buckets.
Workers at the hotel were ordered to evacuate property from hotel rooms and managed to salvage electronics, beddings and other items to safer rooms.
The hotel which has a basement parking lot had some vehicles parked next to the inferno.
Owners rushed to save their vehicles from being burnt down by the fire.
A county government vehicle was rescued by youth who literarily carried it when the driver failed to show up.
County Secretary Isaiah Ogwe and Water Executive Dickson Nyawinda watched helplessly from the hotel balcony as youth fought to extinguish the fire.
The fire was later put off by use of a water bowser owned by the government.
Some residents said they were dismayed by the county government’s failure to procure a fire engine.
“The tanker that was brought to extinguish the fire is for supply of clean water, it’s not a fire extinguisher,” said a resident.
By Davis Langat
