Police are probing circumstances under which a man burned to death inside his car in Buruburu Phase 5, Nairobi on Tuesday.
Private security guards manning Mai Mahiu Court along Katulo Road reported a car that was burning at the parking yard.
Nairobi county fire fighters were called to put out the fire which had destroyed the interior of the Subaru Impreza registration number KBY 779M.
“Upon search, there was a body of one male adult who lives in house number 465 next to the parking yard, namely Terance Korir aged 36 years who is believed to be the owner of the said motor vehicle having been burned beyond recognition,” read a police report from Buruburu police station.
The victim was preparing to leave for work at 8.30am when the incident happened.
There was speculation the fire was caused by a sanitizer inside the car.
“Since the onset of Covid-19, we have been carrying and interacting with a highly flamable and very volatile chemical in the name of sanitizers. If you leave it in the car the ethanol can vapourize and fill up the car and on car ignition it causes a serious fire which can be life threatening,” some netizens said.
However, Buruburu subcounty police commander Adamson Bungei told the Star the claims that a sanitizer inside the car caused the fire have not been confirmed.
“The circumstances surrounding the incident are not known. For now we are treating it as a fire incident,” he said.
He said investigations were underway.
The victim is survived by a wife and two children.