Flights canceled as fire guts Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta Airport

A devastating fire shut down Nairobi’s international airport Wednesday in a “major crisis” that forced scores of flights at east Africa’s biggest transport hub to be cancelled or diverted.

Dramatic plumes of black smoke billowed out of the main arrivals terminal, but by 9:00 am (0600 GMT), some four hours after the blaze broke out, firefighters had succeeded in stemming the raging flames, despite being hampered by a lack of water and equipment.

“Everything is being done to resume normal operations,” said presidential spokesman Manoah Esipisu, speaking to reporters outside the gutted arrivals hall of the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA), where flames had earlier lit up the pre-dawn sky.