NWAFA

Thanks for the update everyone. I just received a panicked short tweet. I started calling friends and no one had heard anything and my tweets aren't being returned.

Thanks again,

NWAFA^

BradleyB

Hopefully. I'm meant to be starting a safari on Monday morning.

rwoman

FTer, DCBme is in NBO now - comments here - http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trave...port-fire.html

Mwenenzi

Best to check with your safari operator & your travel insurance. Others are likely to be inconvenienced. Getting from Mombasa to Nairobi is possible by bus or train. Bus's are basic and the train service is now not frequent as it once was. Do NOT take a night bus.

My screen name is Swahili for traveller ~ wanderer

DanTravels

Immigration and arrivals is gone, along with some offices. Some other bits are apparently okay. Latest updates I've seen on the news say they've got the fire out, inside quite charred, one staff and one passenger inhaled a bit of smoke and were taken to hospital as a precaution, but no lives lost.

There are threads on this in BA, DL, Africa and Travel News - maybe some mods can decide where it belongs and merge?

DanTravels

A few years back, maybe around 2010, Delta announced plans to begin service to NBO, but apparently government approval (from the US government, I presume) was not forthcoming due to concerns over security in the region.

There are threads on this fire in BA, DL, Africa and Travel News - maybe some mods can decide where it belongs and merge?

RTW1

It's a shame for all those that are affected... but maybe they will now build a decent terminal.

Mwenenzi

On BA forum: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...rt-closed.html

johan rebel

Probably not, but that's not much of an excuse.

"There may not have been fire engines available to respond. The country's largest newspaper, The Daily Nation, reported last month that Nairobi County doesn't have a single working fire engine, and that three fire engines were auctioned off in 2009 because the county hadn't paid a $1,000 repair bill.

"It is a disgrace of biblical proportions that the entire Nairobi County does not have a public fire engine in working condition," the paper wrote in an editorial last month. "When (government leaders) were debating their budgets, they did not deem it fit to set aside money either to buy new ones or repair the old ones. But they did set aside money to build mansions for governors, (buy) big vehicles for county executives and other needs without a direct benefit to Kenyans."

The paper said the collapse of the fire department means responses to disasters is in the hands of private companies and the military."

Source

I wasn't there, but it would appear that not only did an initially small fire get completely out of hand, but it took a long time to do so. Some witnesses reported smelling smoke when they checked in, which they accomplished without any problems. They then went through immigrations, proceeded to the gate and waited until departure time. When they were about to board, they were informed that the flight had been canceled and that they should evacuate the building. Only some time later did the fire engulf the arrivals hall, where it apparently had not even started.

It would not at all surprise me if it was not only a matter of a lack of fire-fighting resources and equipment, but also of poorly trained and inept fire fighters, not to mention a building sorely lacking structural fire protection and not compliant with building codes, if there are any in the first place.

Johan

Fred3798

YIKES. We leave Tuesday to fly into Nairobi for a safari that was a year in the planning. I would be most grateful for any news on KLM ability to make its scheduled flights into Nairobi. Thanks.

Worried

Austinrunner

Have you called KLM? Do that immediately instead of relying on forum strangers.

CubsFanJohn

Any updates NWAFA.

NWAFA

Hello, thank you for asking. ^

The people that I know are a combination of PMNW and PMDL FAs, Pilots that were in Kenya doing volunteer work. Word got to them that the region was possibly unstable because of the U.S. Embassies closing. So, they decided to leave.

My friends were at NBO when the fire broke out, hence the the quick tweet. I guess it was pretty much chaos after that, trying to get information themselves. They ended up registering with the U.S. Embassy there. The last I heard, they may have to bus it to Mobasa to catch a flight.

Otherwise they're fine.

NWAFA

JDiver

Welcome to FlyerTalk.

You really need to be calling KLM Friday If not today) to inquire what they will be doing with their flight.

Perhaps they are flying into Mombasa, or can get you to Kilimanjaro Airport in Tanzania and arrange transport to Nairobi? If so, contact your safari company for some consultation as well.



BBC says some international arrivals are being allowed into NBO; others had been diverted to Mombasa / MBA and Edloret / EDL. Eldoret! Nearly 300 km from Nairobi, in the SW corner of the country.

Some fire engines got caught in Nairobi traffic, others ran out of water; the fire response was reduced to various people attempting to use buckets of water. (Would that be like running out to the runway during an regency with cans of shaving cream when the foam ran out? )

javabytes

Had a friend flying into NBO yesterday... they diverted to Mombasa and were bussed to NBO, ended up getting in something like 11 hours late.