15 killed in Kenya market fire

Nairobi: At least 15 people were killed and 70 others injured on Thursday when a massive fire ripped through one of Kenya's largest open-air markets.

The St. John Ambulance service in Kenya said the fire broke out in the Gikomba market in central Nairobi at around 2.30 a.m., although the cause of the blaze was yet to be determined, reports Efe news.

"Multi-agency search and rescue operations ongoing, 15 residential apartments and several shanties affected," the service said in a statement.

The injured were rushed to the Kenyatta National Hospital.

Kenya's Red Cross said the fire had been contained.

The Gikomba market, a popular commercial centre for second-hand clothes and electronic gadgets, has been damaged by several fires in recent years.