Hundreds of Kenya tourists evacuated

A man injured by one of the two blasts in central Nairobi arrives to be treated at Kenyatta National Hospital

Tour operators Thomson and First Choice have also cancelled all of their flights to the terrorism-hit east African nation until October.

About 500 holidaymakers were flown home to the UK on Thursday and then yesterday from Mombasa, Kenya’s second largest city.

The first plane carrying Thomson and First Choice customers arrived early yesterday at Gatwick airport. A second plane was due back last night.

Both blasts in Nairobi happened at about 1pm UK time yesterday. The explosions were in the city’s Gikombna market area, with one reported to be on a 14-seater tour bus.

Kenyan officials said around 70 people had been injured and one suspect arrested. The incidents followed terrorist attacks earlier this month in and around Mombasa.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) issued revised advice to UK tourists on Wednesday, warning against all but essential travel to parts of Mombasa.

UK travel organisation Abta said: “We estimated that around 500 British tourists were travelling with tour operators in resorts at the time of the change of FCO advice.

“These customers have been safely repatriated out of these areas.

“Anyone still travelling in the affected areas should make contact with their travel provider.”

An Abta spokeswoman said: “Alternative destinations or full refunds will be offered to consumers travelling on package holidays to affected areas for as long as the advice remains in place.

“If customers are due to travel to the areas impacted, they should contact their tour operator, who will advise them about the status of their booking.”

Holidaymakers arriving back at Gatwick included Alex Dolphin, from Surrey.

He said: “I didn’t feel uneasy until we were in a convoy of three coaches parked on the roadside waiting to leave for the airport. I was keeping an eye open as we drove through Mombasa.”

Security concerns have long been high in Kenya because of its proximity to Somalia and a terror group with al-Qaida links that operates there. In September, four gunmen attacked a shopping mall in Nairobi, killing at least 67 people.