Several houses were burnt down on Thursday night in the Njuguini area of Athi River after fire broke out, reportedly trapping an unknown number of people.
According to reports, the fire broke out at around 8 pm while most people were inside their homes, forcing the residents to scamper for safety as the flames intensified.
During the incident, the locals attempted to rescue their belongings.
However, the fire quickly escalated, engulfing an entire building and burning property of unknown value.
Thursday Night Blaze Leaves Residents in Shock. Photo: Courtesy.
The tragedy left several families homeless, with those affected forced to spend the night in the cold, while some sought shelter from neighbouring estates within Machakos.
No fatalities have been reported though the full extent of those affected is still being established.
The inferno, which lasted close to two hours, gutted a residential building before firefighters from Nairobi and Machakos counties brought it under control.
By their arrival, however, much of the building had already been destroyed, with residents unable to save most of their possessions.
Videos and photos shared online showed the multi-storey structure engulfed in towering flames as residents watched in despair.
Firefighters battled the blaze alongside some locals who made last-ditch efforts to retrieve valuables from areas yet to be consumed.
Police are now investigating the cause of the fire, as dozens of families search for alternative shelter.
