Inferno destroys over 250 villas in Malindi

More than 250 private villas and cottages were destroyed during a fire incident in Kenya's coastal town of Malindi on Sunday afternoon.

The inferno is said to have started at 1pm and three hours later, huge flames could still be seen razing more cottages to the ground..

Italian cottage owners who had come to Kenya to prepare for the re-opening of the cottages for the high season, could be seen frantically trying to extinguish the fire. Palm Tree Club hotel and Kibokoni Riding Center, a popular horse riding place for foreigners, were among property that was destroyed.

“I just came from Italy two days ago to prepare for the opening for the high season next week. This is now all shattered. We are back to square one, ” said Ms Lidia Filini, the General Manager of Palm Tree Club. She added that the hotel had been fully booked from July but now the fire had destroyed everything.

Area police chief Mr Peter Kattam said police had to break into the villas to save the Italian owners and their employees. “We have also arrested four people who were looting property in one of the villas and locked them in the police cells,” said Mr Kattam.

According to a guard at the Palm Tree Club, Mr Francis Makazi, the fire was started by an electric fault from Rajo Villas near the hotel. “We just saw fire along the electricity cables and in a flash of a second, everything was engulfed in fire,” said Mr Makazi.

Area residents who spoke to the Nation said the fire was fanned by strong winds and took minutes to move from villa to villa. They said it then spread to their villages sending a wave of panic. Hundreds of them could be seen moving their household items to the road side.

Recent fire incidents have destroyed tourist hotels in Malindi and Watamu with local authority officials coming under heavy criticism over their ability to contain them.