safe and sound in my suburb

in the case that anyone has heard of the explosion that happened this morning in nairobi, rest assured that i was far away from it and perfectly safe. no one seems to know what it was all about yet.

here is a snippet from the local paper:

Explosion in Nairobi
Story by CHURCHILL OTIENO
Publication Date: 6/11/2007

Several people are feared dead following an explosion at the city centre in Nairobi this morning.

The explosion went off shortly after 8am at a restaurant near the Ambassadeur Hotel between Tom Mboya Street and Moi Avenue.

The spot is usually a busy area with huge traffic as morning commuters change buses and rush to work. A junction outside the restaurant is one of the key picking and dropping points for buses in the city.

‘Nation’ photojournalist William Oeri has reported seeing at least two bodies and ripped off limbs at the scene.

“Personal items are strewn all over the place,” he said.

A second ‘Nation’ photographer Joseph Mathenge said he could see a body hanging from the window.

Witnesses have reported seeing ambulances deliver two bodies to the Kenyatta National Hospital and three others to the Nairobi Hospital.

"It was a very loud explosion. I thought it was a tyre burst but it was louder than that," Lang'at Justice, a 20-year-old student who witnessed the explosion, told Reuters near the chaotic scene.

The scene of the new blast is only a few blocks away from the former US Embassy which was targeted by suicide bombers in 1998.

Additional reporting by REUTERS