KENYA: There are scenes of grief at a Nairobi mortuary as relatives of those killed in the Westgate Mall gun attack and siege collect the bodies of their loved ones in preparation for their funerals

Record ID: 353997

  • Title: KENYA: There are scenes of grief at a Nairobi mortuary as relatives of those killed in the Westgate Mall gun attack and siege collect the bodies of their loved ones in preparation for their funerals
  • Date: 26th September 2013
  • Summary: MEN STANDING NEXT TO VAN WITH COFFIN ON TOP (SOUNDBITE) (English) DAVID AKUNDA, NAIROBI RESIDENT, SAYING: "I think the tragedy happened we know until now we don't know the number which has gone and which has missing. The exact number we can't tell. And we don't know which way the government will use so that the people can be named, nor can be mentioned - something of thi
  • Embargoed: 11th October 2013 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Kenya
  • Country: Kenya
  • Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement
  • Reuters ID: LVACQS0LZFVTFUA4TC2E6H337XNY
  • Story Text: As Kenya launched its investigation into the Nairobi shopping mall attack, on Thursday (September 26) the bodies of some of those killed were released for their funerals.
    Outside Nairobi's mortuary, grieving relatives waited to collect the bodies of their loved ones, and in moments of grief, struggled to make sense of what had happened.

    "In my opinion, I don't think whether there is security because it shows for this incident to happen, they had planned for it, and by the time they were preparing themselves, our government of Kenya, or the citizens - where were they? Because I'm sure even a normal human being might have seen the signs. But to say the truth, they did not just come from nowhere. And did what they did immediately, there was enough planning," said Faustina Adhiambo whose cousin was killed in the attack.
    At a newspaper stand in Nairobi, the attack still dominated the print news.

    "The Aftermath", was the headline in The Standard, which printed photos of some of the dead.

    "I think the tragedy happened we know until now we don't know the number which has gone and which has missing. The exact number we can't tell. And we don't know which way the government will use so that the people can be named, nor can be mentioned - something of this sort," Nairobi resident David Akunda reflected on a death toll which has yet to be finalized as the clear-up continues at the Westgate Mall.

    "We are really afraid. If I wanted to buy a pack of flour, I wouldn't go into a supermarket. I will look for some small shop near my house because the reports we are getting are not clear," said Richard Nzioka Munzau on the mood in the Kenyan city.
    U.S., British and Israeli agencies are helping Kenya investigate an attack claimed by Somali Islamist militants on a Nairobi shopping mall that killed at least 72 people and destroyed part of the complex, officials said on Wednesday (September 25).
    President Uhuru Kenyatta said on Tuesday (September 24) that troops had defeated the al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab group after a four-day siege at the shopping centre popular with prosperous Kenyans and foreigners. He declared three days of mourning.
    The attack has highlighted the reach of al Shabaab and the capabilities of its crack unit which claimed responsibility for the bloodshed in the Westgate mall, confirming international fears that Somalia would remain a recruiting and training ground for militant Islam as long as it remained in turmoil.
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