Lucky escape for workers as fire burns plastics factory

An employer is on the spot for allegedly locking up staff overnight in a plastics manufacturing factory in Nairobi’s Industrial Area.

The information on the alleged lockup emerged Saturday following a fire at Metro Plastics Kenya Ltd which is located along Nadume Close off Lunga Lunga Road.

Makadara Deputy County Commissioner Fred Ndunga ordered that the employer who is suspected of having locked in the workers be arrested and charged.

He said that locking a person at work and taking the keys home is a human rights violation and is also illegal.

FACTORY FIRE

Mr Ndunga was speaking to journalists on Saturday following the fire incident at the factory.

He said the fire started in the morning and that firefighters had a hard time putting it off as chemicals in the factory kept re-igniting it.

"The firefighters arrived quickly but the problem is that with chemical exposure, the fire reappears after extinguishing," he said.

Property of unknown value was destroyed by the fire.

INJURED

Some workers were said to have suffered injuries as they jumped over the walls to escape from the fire.

Mr Ndunga said his officers are reviewing CCTV cameras to determine the truth about the alleged lockup.

Some residents of the neighbouring Mukuru-Lunga Lunga slums were forced to flee as they had difficulties breathing due to heavy smoke.

Firefighters from the Kenya Pipeline Company and those from the Nairobi County government helped put out the fire.