A plane from London was the first to land at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport at 06:30 local time, Kenyan airport authorities said.

 

Other planes from Bangkok and Kilimanjaro also arrived.

 

The cause of the fire is not yet known. Kenyan authorities say no serious injuries were reported.

 

The Nairobi airport is a regional hub serving more than 16,000 passengers daily and its closure caused widespread disruption.

 

International flights into the city had been diverted to other airports in Eldoret and the coastal² city of Mombasa. 

 

On Wednesday the interior ministry³ announced the resumption of domestic and cargo⁴ services.

 

The fire took about four hours to bring under control, by which time the arrivals hall had been gutted.

 

 

The Kenya Airport Authority told the BBC that Kenya Airways⁵ flights were arriving and taking off "now at more or less normal operations".

 

Other international airlines had not yet clarified their operations, it added.

 

The fire started in the airport's international arrivals and immigration area at around 05:00 on Wednesday and spread quickly.

 

Questions are being asked about why so few fire engines were available initially⁶. 

 

It appears that some engines got stuck in the Kenyan capital's notorious traffic jams. Many engines at the scene also quickly ran out of water. 

 

Soldiers and police even came with buckets to help put out the fire, Sylvia Amondi, who was at the airport to pick up a relative who had been due to arrive there, told AFP news agency.

 

"The international arrivals station has been completely destroyed, the roof has caved in and the floor is covered in debris⁷ and water," she said.

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