NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) – An explosion at an airport in Kenya’s capital Sunday slightly injured two people and caused a fire that destroyed part of a departure lounge, police said.

The explosion occurred in a customs warehouse at Wilson Airport, triggering a fire that damaged part of the roof of the adjacent departure lounge, police spokesman Superintendent Jaspher Ombati told The Associated Press.

“Investigators are preparing to probe the cause of the blast,” Ombati said. “Two people were injured, but their wounds are not life threatening.”

An official said on condition of anonymity that one of those injured was an officer with the national security services and the other was a customs officer.

Firefighters rushed to the scene, and witnesses said air traffic had been halted after the blast. But several hours later, airplanes were seen taking off and landing on the runway.

Pilots monitoring communications over short wave radio said emergency personnel indicated the blast might have been caused by the mishandling of explosive chemicals or a gas canister.

The airport is the second busiest in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, serving as a hub for tourist and cargo charter flights. The airport is used mostly by light- and medium-sized aircraft as well as helicopters.

AP-ES-10-17-04 1909EDT



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