A hotel in Kisii, Seventh Well Hotel situated along Jua Kali area was burnt down to ashes and nothing was salvaged from it.
The fire broke out on Friday morning after a gas cylinder allegedly burst as the owner of the hotel, Elijah Moseti was connecting the gas for use.
"I was in the kitchen when Elijah came in with gas. As he was connecting, it burst causing the fire. We ran out screaming for help," Lilian Kemunto, a cook recalled.
"I was serving a customer when the gas burst causing the fire. The customers ran for their dear lives as I also followed them. We screamed for help and people came and tried to put out the fire," Janet Kerubo a waiter added.
Residents who tried to put out the fire said that the fire brigade was late, something that made it very hard for them to contain it from spreading.
"The county government would have helped us were it not for their delay," Richard Okemwa a bodaboda rider said.
The owner of the hotel said that he made a loss of more than Sh1.5 million. He also said that the gas had a leakage which caused the fire.
"I refilled the gas yesterday and found out that it had a leakage. Returning it back, the owners refused to exchange it. On lighting it today, it burst out into the fire," Moseti stated.
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