Nairobi-bound train stalls before catching fire

An empty train used to ferry petroleum products that was on transit to Nairobi from Nanyuki has caught fire minutes after leaving the Sagana station.

No casualties were reported in the ill-fated six-wagon train as those who were in the crew compartment managed to escape.

The train crew used fire extinguishers to control the spread of the fire before firefighters from Murang'a station arrived minutes later.

Caroline Muthoni, a resident who was at home preparing for church saw the train from a distance. But something was amiss as she saw smoke coming out from underneath the train. As it was approaching, she spotted fire under the cockpit area.

Residents say they feared getting closer to the train as they thought it would burst into flames.

The fire which is said to have been caused by an electric fault was controlled by the firefighters in conjunction with the residents who flocked the scene.

The residents got a chance to get closer to the train, touch it and also posed for photos saying they have never had such an experience.

Samuel Njuguna narrated to TV47 Digital how he received news about the resumption of the 240-Kilometre Nairobi-Nanyuki metre-gauge railway line with joy and has been enjoying the rides. Njuguna says that he has also been transporting his goods at a cheaper cost.

Captain Anthony Mwangi, the lead firefighter at Murang'a, says they received the call at 9:30 in the morning and rushed to the scene immediately. Mwangi thanked the residents for acting promptly in informing them of the fire incident.