Massive fire shuts down Nairobi airport

(Vatican Radio) The airport in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi was shut down after being damaged by a massive fire. All flights in and out of Jomo Kenyatta International Airport were cancelled leaving hundreds of passengers stranded outside the largest and busiest airport in east Africa. The fire is believed to have started early Wednesday morning in the arrivals and immigration area of the airport. Incoming and outgoing flights were halted as emergency personnel battled the fire, but airlines wanting to take off without passengers were allowed to do so.
At the time of the fire, Cabinet secretary for transport Michael Kamau urged people to stay away.
“Anybody who intended to depart cannot,” he said, as all ingoing and outgoing flights had been cancelled. Kamau also discouraged spectators from going near the airport. “People should not come to the airport to allow the emergency work to continue.”
“For the time being we are not allowing anybody,” he said.
Authorities say they have contained the blaze which is said to be the worst on record.
Listen to Ann Schneible’s full report: