Fire destroys Rwandan embassy in Kenya

NAIROBI, Aug 30 (Reuters) Rwanda said today it was not ruling out arson as the cause of a fire in a central Nairobi building that destroyed its embassy in Kenya.

Early police reports said the fire at the International Life House started because of an electrical fault within the offices of the embassy, but investigations were ongoing today to determine the exact cause.

''We are not ruling out arson for now,'' George Kayonga, the Rwandan ambassador told Reuters. ''We can't rule anything out at the moment.'' The tower also houses the Italian, Swiss, Venezuelan, Spanish, Cuban and Colombian embassies, along with the offices for British Airways and the French news agency Agence France-Presse among others. Only the Rwandan mission was burned.

Rwandan foreign affairs ministry said it had not received any communication from Kenyan officials about the fire.

Police said no one sustained major injuries in the incident, but two people had to be rescued from the sixth and eighth floors of the building.

The cost of damages caused by the wreckage was not yet known, but the embassy contained some invaluable documents, the Kayonga said, adding that the mission will be run for now from the ambassador's residence.

REUTERS KR HS1618