About

August 7th Memorial Park bomb blast is placed on the 1998 United States embassy bombings scene alongside Haile Selassie Avenue in Nairobi, Kenya. It carries a observe board list the names of each person that had been reported dead after the incident.

August 7th Memorial Park, Bomb Blast Entry Fees

The Memorial Park grounds are open daily from 7.00am to 6.00pm while the Visitors Centre is open Monday to Saturday from 9.00am to 6.00pm, and Sundays/Public Holidays from 1.00pm to 6.00pm. Entry fee is Kshs. 30 to tour the garden and park grounds.

History

On August 7, 1998, at approximately 10:30 a.m. local time. Terrorists driving in a truck detonated a large bomb in the rear parking area. Near the ramp to the basement garage, of the American Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya.

The blast at the American Embassy resulted in the deaths of a total of 213 people. Including 44 American Embassy employees (12 Americans and 32 Foreign Service National employees). Ten Americans and eleven FSNs sustained serious injuries. The blast also caused an estimated 200 Kenyan civilians to lose their lives. While 4,000 others sustained injuries in the vicinity of the embassy.

Damage to the embassy was massive, and especially internally. And lthough there was little structural damage to the five story reinforced concrete building. The explosion reduced much of the interior to rubble–destroying windows. Window frames, internal office partitions and other fixtures on the rear side of the building.

The secondary fragmentation from flying glass, internal concrete block walls, furniture, and fixtures caused most of the embassy casualties. The majority of the Kenyan casualties resulted from the collapse of the adjacent Ufundi Building. Flying glass from the nearby Co-op Bank Building and other buildings located within a two to three block radius. Other casualties were pedestrians or motorists in the crowded streets next to the embassy.