Nairobi terror: Major malls shut down after attack in Westgate mall

Nairobi, Sept 22: Following the

by gunmen on the Westgate Mall in Westlands that left dozens of people dead, at least five major shopping malls in Nairobi were shut down.

The Westgate attack is the worst in the city since the 1998 bombing

The Village Market was the first to close. It is one of the largest malls in East Africa with 150 retail shops and 20,000 square feet of office space. The shopping mall, some 10 km outside the city centre, is located near a major United Nations compound and several embassies, according to reports.

Nakumatt's Lifestyle mall in the central business district as well as the Junction, Karen and Galleria suburban malls were also closed in what management said was a precautionary measure.

"We have enhanced security across all the branches and we are asking customers to cooperate with the security teams," said Mr Alfred Ng'ang'a, a spokesman for the Nakumatt supermarket chain. "It's a precautionary measure, and we hope to reopen tomorrow morning."

The Westgate attack is the worst in the city since the 1998 bombing of the US embassy which killed 213 people. Yesterday's attack sent shockwaves across Nairobi and saw many shopping centres shut.

OneIndia News