Officials contain fire at Kenya airport, facility remains closed

Authorities said a fire that closed the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya, was contained Wednesday several hours after it broke out. However, officials gave no indication of when the airport will reopen, The New York Times said. The airport was closed after a fire broke out at the terminal at 5 a.m. Wednesday, the Kenya Airports Authority said. Transportation Secretary Michael Kamau said the fire was "very severe" and asked people to stay away from the airport, the BBC reported. Ambulances and fire trucks were at the scene. "We confirm reports of a fire at JKIA affecting part of [the] international arrivals building and Unit 1 departures," the KAA said. "KAA Fire and Rescue Team is on [the] ground being assisted by G4S and Nairobi Fire Brigade. Passengers have been evacuated to safety." "Apart from emergency landings, all flights into and out of JKIA have been canceled. ... [The] airport has been shut down," Mutea Iringo, a senior official at the Interior and National Coordination Ministry, was quoted by the BBC as saying.