AFRICA/KENYA - At least 92 have been killed in a pipeline in a slum in Nairobi, the outdated system is under indictment

Nairobi (Agenzia Fides) - 92 people died and 117 wounded, of which 40 are very serious.This is the toll, still provisional, of the Kenya Pipeline Company explosion (KPC) which happened yesterday, September 12, in the slums of Sinai, in Nairobi. The tragedy occurred when, after the collapse of a junction, a crowd had gathered to collect the petrol coming out from the tube. A thrown cigarette butt unfortunately caused an explosion and the fire engulfed the bystanders and the neighboring barracks. The Kenyan press accuses the outdated system of the pipeline that transports refined products from Mombasa to Nairobi (line 1) and from Nairobi to Eldoret (line 4). The loss occurred just at the junction between the two lines near the slums.
According to experts, a pipeline has a lifespan of 25-30 years before being renewed or replaced. The KPC pipeline is 33 years old, it was inaugurated in 1978. The urban development in Nairobi also raises the problem of locating new areas where to place the pipeline route and fuel depots. "It is time to review the placement of the fuel depot in relation to human and economic activities nearby. The storage terminal in Nairobi, when it is filled, contains tens of millions of gallons of petroleum products. In the event of an uncontrolled outflow, God have mercy on our souls", said a KPC expert to the newspaper" The Standard ". (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides 13/09/2011)