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Shootout inside Nairobi's Westgate centre 'kills five' | |
(35 minutes later) | |
A gun fight inside a shopping centre in the Kenyan capital Nairobi has left at least five people dead, witnesses say. | |
Police have been exchanging fire with gunmen who stormed the Westgate centre - one of the city's most exclusive shopping malls. | |
One witness said masked attackers threw grenades into the building at about midday local time (09:00 GMT). | |
Dozens of shoppers fled. At least four people are wounded. A number of others are trapped inside. | |
Nairobi police chief Benson Kibue told AP news agency that the gunmen had been trying to rob a shop within the mall when the shooting began. | |
Dutch embassy employee Rob Vandijk told AP that he had been eating at a restaurant in the centre when gunmen threw hand grenades inside the building. | Dutch embassy employee Rob Vandijk told AP that he had been eating at a restaurant in the centre when gunmen threw hand grenades inside the building. |
He said machine-gun fire then rang out, and people dropped to the ground. | He said machine-gun fire then rang out, and people dropped to the ground. |
Shopping centre security guards used shopping trolleys to wheel out several wounded children and at least one man, AP reports. | Shopping centre security guards used shopping trolleys to wheel out several wounded children and at least one man, AP reports. |
"The gunmen tried to fire at my head but missed. There are definitely many casualties," Sudjar Singh, who works at the shopping centre, told AFP. | |
"I saw three of the attackers dressed in black and with covered faces and they were carrying heavy rifles," said another witness. | |
One Nairobi resident, Anupa, who lives near the scene, told the BBC: "I heard the exchange of fire when it happened, and I heard what I thought was a grenade, but I didn't go outside. The whole area is cordoned off." | |
Armed police took cover behind vehicles outside. "We have officers at the scene trying to get out the group shooting inside," a police official told AFP news agency. | Armed police took cover behind vehicles outside. "We have officers at the scene trying to get out the group shooting inside," a police official told AFP news agency. |
"Officers are approaching the situation with caution because there are innocent civilians inside," he said. | "Officers are approaching the situation with caution because there are innocent civilians inside," he said. |
There are fears that there may be some hostages, the NTV channel reports. | There are fears that there may be some hostages, the NTV channel reports. |
The Westgate centre is often frequented by wealthy Kenyans and expatriates. Police have urged residents to stay away from the area. | The Westgate centre is often frequented by wealthy Kenyans and expatriates. Police have urged residents to stay away from the area. |