Police probe Kenyan hotel fires

POLICE in the Kenyan Indian Ocean port of Mombasa are investigating the cause of a fire that swept through four beachfront hotels last night, forcing 650 European tourists to flee.

Mombasa police chief John Aloo said they were trying to determine how the fire broke out in one hotel and then rapidly engulfed the other three structures. All were made of cinder block and coral rag and had highly flammable palm-thatch roofs known locally as makuti.

Kai Wulff, managing director of African Safari Club, the company that owns all four hotels, said that after spending the night in other hotels the company owns in the area, guests were returning to their original rooms to collect their belongings.

He said the rooms only suffered smoke damage, and residents were able to recover most of their luggage.

The Shanzu Beach, Paradise Beach, Coral Beach and Palm Beach hotels all north of Mombasa caught fire as many guests were sitting down to dinner, said Wulff.

He said other guests were at the swimming pool and some in their rooms preparing to go out for the evening. The guests were from Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Britain and France.

Wulff said the fire appeared to have started between two of the hotels and ignited one of the thatch roofs. Strong winds and dry conditions caused the fire to leap from one roof to the next.

He said the cause of the fire does not appear to be arson, but he said he was waiting for police to conclude their investigation.