Several people killed in Nairobi hotel attack
nairobi — Several people were killed in an attack on an upmarket hotel and office complex in Nairobi Tuesday, a photographer said, while a police source said he had seen up to 14 dead.
The photographer saw five bodies slumped over tables on a restaurant terrace in the complex, which was hit in an attack claimed by Al Shabaab militants.
Not far from the terrace he saw the body of what appeared to be a suicide bomber.
An unnamed eyewitness told Citizen TV he had also seen five bodies, however it was unclear if these were the same victims.
A senior police officer who was among the first at the scene but who asked not to be named, said he had seen as many as 14 dead.
“There could be more upstairs. There are 14 scattered at the ground floor offices and restaurant lobbies. Some are lying on the ground while others are leaning on the table which is scattered with food.”
The overall situation at the DusitD2 complex remained unclear as elite police forces combed the area to evacuate people and try to flush out potential gunmen.
Elite police forces evacuated terrified workers barricaded in offices after an hour of sustained gunfire as they engaged the attackers. Sporadic shots were still heard hours after the blast.
“We are aware that there are armed criminals still holed up and our officers are trying to flush them out,” said Inspector General of police Joseph Boinnet.
“We regret to inform you that there have been injuries in the attack and we are in the process of confirming the numbers.”
Simon Crump, who works in the complex, said terrified workers barricaded themselves inside their offices after “several” explosions.
“We have no idea what is happening. Gunshots are coming from multiple directions,” he said.
He later said that police had evacuated workers from the building, and it was not clear how many were still trapped. —