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Nairobi rocked by two deadly explosions Nairobi rocked by two deadly explosions
(35 minutes later)
The Foreign Office was urgently investigating reports of two deadly explosions in the Kenyan capital Nairobi on Friday as hundreds of British tourists were evacuated from the country due to a renewed terror threat. Two blasts have hit Nairobi, killing 10 people and injuring 70 as hundreds of British tourists were evacuated from the country due to the renewed terror threat.
At least four people were killed following two blasts in Nairobi that came shortly after 400 holidaymakers were told they would be evacuated from Mombasa due to an "unacceptably high" threat level. Nairobi police chief, Benson Kibue, said two improvised explosive devices were detonated in a market area near central Nairobi on Friday. One blast hit a mini-van used for public transportation.
A Foreign Office spokeswoman said that it was too early to say whether it would expand its terror alert to include the Kenyan capital following the blasts, but added: "We are aware of the reports of the explosions and we are urgently looking into them now." The two blasts in the Kenyan capital came shortly after 400 British holidaymakers were told they would be evacuated from Mombasa, on the east coast of Kenya, due to an "unacceptably high" threat level.
Thomson and First Choice cancelled all flights up to the end of October and were flying back holidaymakers as a precautionary measure. Kuoni said it was offering free cancellations to customers due to fly to the affected areas in the next seven days. The US embassy also issued a travel alert on Friday morning, warning American citizens of a continued terrorist threat in the country where the US embassy was hit by a devastating attack in 1998.
Thomson Airways said on its website: "The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is now advising against all but essential travel to Mombasa island, Kenya. A British Foreign Office spokeswoman said it was too early to say whether it would expand its terror alert to include Nairobi after the blasts, but added: "We are aware of the reports of the explosions and we are urgently looking into them now."
"Thomson and First Choice have been continuously monitoring the situation as it developed and have been working very closely with the FCO and follow its advice at all times. Thomson and First Choice holiday firms cancelled all flights up to the end of October and were flying holidaymakers home as a precautionary measure. Kuoni said it was offering free cancellations to customers due to fly to the affected areas in the next seven days.
"As a result of the change in FCO advice, the decision has been taken to cancel all our outbound flights to Mombasa, Kenya up to and including 31 October. Thomson Airways said on its website: "The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) is now advising against all but essential travel to Mombasa island, Kenya. Thomson and First Choice have been continuously monitoring the situation as it developed and have been working very closely with the FCO and follow its advice at all times.
"As a result of the change in FCO advice, the decision has been taken to cancel all our outbound flights to Mombasa, Kenya, up to and including 31 October.
"As a precautionary measure, we have also taken the decision to repatriate all customers currently on holiday in Kenya, including our Air Fare passengers back to the UK on Thursday and Friday this week.""As a precautionary measure, we have also taken the decision to repatriate all customers currently on holiday in Kenya, including our Air Fare passengers back to the UK on Thursday and Friday this week."
At Mombasa airport, taxi driver Sam Kidelo said tourists were distressed at having to cut short their dream holidays and clamour for seats on packed evacuation planes. At Mombasa airport, the taxi driver Sam Kidelo said tourists were distressed at having to cut short their dream holidays and were clamouring for seats on crowded evacuation planes.
"The airport on the arrivals side is empty and on the departures side it's full, with queues all the way from the desk to the outside," said Kidelo. "The airport on the arrivals side is empty and on the departures side it's full, with queues all the way from the desk to the outside," Kidelo said.
"People are unhappy. Very unhappy. What they're saying is that they've saved money for this for years and many of them were going to see the animals and now their trip has been cut they are not doing safari.""People are unhappy. Very unhappy. What they're saying is that they've saved money for this for years and many of them were going to see the animals and now their trip has been cut they are not doing safari."
Barry Jackson, who was on board one of the planes flying British holidaymakers out of Kenya, said most people were in good spirits. He added: "It was all organised: we just had to leave, otherwise we were going to be without a plane to get us home. We were in for 15 days; we got two nights there so we're getting very used to airports. It wasn't a holiday we had banked on. Now we're trying to get a holiday to elsewhere." Barry Jackson, who was on board one of the planes flying Britons home, said most people were in good spirits. "It was all organised: we just had to leave, otherwise we were going to be without a plane to get us home. We were in for 15 days; we got two nights there so we're getting very used to airports. It wasn't a holiday we had banked on. Now we're trying to get a holiday to elsewhere."
Mike Morrison, a logistics manager, was due to fly to Mombasa on a business trip next week but cancelled his flight due to the terror alert. "I wouldn't go against Foreign Office guidelines because they won't get you out if anything goes wrong, to put it crudely," he said. Mike Morrison, a logistics manager, cancelled a planned business trip to Mombasa next week. "I wouldn't go against Foreign Office guidelines because they won't get you out if anything goes wrong, to put it crudely," he said.
"I was in Nairobi last year and there were parts I could go to and parts I couldn't because if something goes wrong then they [the Foreign Office] can't help because you've been warned. Ninety-nine times out of 100 something wouldn't go wrong but that one time it did you would be hung out to dry.""I was in Nairobi last year and there were parts I could go to and parts I couldn't because if something goes wrong then they [the Foreign Office] can't help because you've been warned. Ninety-nine times out of 100 something wouldn't go wrong but that one time it did you would be hung out to dry."
There was confusion and anger among hoteliers in Mombasa, who questioned whether the Foreign Office alert was proportionate and warned that it would be "disastrous" for the coastal economy. There was confusion and anger among hoteliers in Mombasa, who questioned whether the Foreign Office alert was proportionate and said it would be disastrous for the coastal economy.
Sam Ikwaye, of the Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers, said: "We were surprised by the decision of the UK to pull out their citizens and the manner in which it is being done. There are a few aspects of urgency that are creating tension in the region.Sam Ikwaye, of the Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers, said: "We were surprised by the decision of the UK to pull out their citizens and the manner in which it is being done. There are a few aspects of urgency that are creating tension in the region.
"When people are booked in one day and checked out the next, it's like Mombasa as a destination is on fire. We really don't understand and ask that the UK shares their information with the government."When people are booked in one day and checked out the next, it's like Mombasa as a destination is on fire. We really don't understand and ask that the UK shares their information with the government.
"If there is something that is terribly wrong with our destination, we as human beings deserve to know.""If there is something that is terribly wrong with our destination, we as human beings deserve to know."
Ikwaye said the tourism industry employed 30,000 people in Mombasa and that "every aspect of the economy is dependent on tourism". He added: "As an industry, we think it has nothing to do with security because we have checked with enforcement agencies on the ground and there's no alarm." Ikwaye said the tourism industry employed 30,000 people in Mombasa and "every aspect of the economy is dependent on tourism". He added: "As an industry, we think it has nothing to do with security because we have checked with enforcement agencies on the ground and there's no alarm."
Tourism in Kenya is already "on its knees", according to the country's president, Uhuru Kenyatta, following an attack by Somali terror group al-Shabaab on an upmarket shopping centre in Nairobi in September in which at least 67 died and led to travel warnings also deemed "unfriendly" by authorities. President Uhuru Kenyatta said tourism was already "on its knees" after the attack by the Somali terror group al-Shabaab on an upmarket shopping centre in Nairobi in September. At least 67 people were killed and travel warnings were issued.
"We went under by 20% (last year) but we were beginning to pick up. The impact of this is very huge," said Ikwaye."We went under by 20% (last year) but we were beginning to pick up. The impact of this is very huge," said Ikwaye.
Mohamed Hersi of the Mombasa and Coast Tourist Association said Thomson's decision to evacuate tourists was regrettable.
He said that Tui had told hoteliers that "they were looking [at] between 500 and 700" British holidaymakers for evacuation, "even beyond the travel advisory of Mombasa island to nearby resorts such as Diani".
Hersi added that many Brits did not want to leave but the warnings made it difficult to stay. "Many of them would have loved to stay but with these advisories, their insurance becomes invalid."
A Foreign Office spokeswoman said the threat to British nationals in Kenya had changed in recent weeks and was now at an "unacceptably high" level. "Our travel advice reflects the situation on the ground and it is security incidents and other threats to British nationals that have led to this travel advice change.
"We keep our travel advice under close and constant review. We have given careful consideration to the appropriate level of travel advice for the different regions of Kenya and carried out a detailed assessment of the risk to British nationals."
In its official travel advice, the Foreign Office urges British tourists to "exercise a heightened level of vigilance" when travelling in areas within 37 miles of the Kenya-Somali border and Nairobi.
It says: "There is a high threat from terrorism, including kidnapping. The main threat comes from extremists linked to Al-Shabaab, a militant group that has carried out attacks in Kenya in response to Kenya's military intervention in Somalia.
"There has been a spate of small-scale grenade, bomb and armed attacks in Nairobi (especially the area of Eastleigh), Mombasa, and North Eastern Province."The Foreign Office estimates there are 5,000 British nationals living along the coast and approximately 500 in Mombasa and surrounding area.