Nairobi Shopping Mall: Gunmen Kill 'At Least 10'

At least 15 people have reportedly been killed in a suspected terrorist attack on a shopping mall in the Kenyan capital Nairobi.

Gunmen opened fire and detonated grenades inside the Westgate centre, a mall popular with expatriates.

Police chief Benson Kibue described the incident as a terrorist attack, telling the AP news agency up to 10 men exchanged gunfire with police.

Cars and shopping trollies were left abandoned outside the mall

Abbas Guled, of the Kenya Red Cross, told Reuters at least 15 people had been killed.

"The casualties are many and that's only what we have on the outside," he said. "Inside there are even more casualties and shooting is still going on."

Abdi Osman Adan, a journalist in Nairobi, told Sky News staff at a supermarket and a jewellery store had reportedly been taken hostage.

An ambulance arrives as a woman flees from the shopping centre

Witnesses reported seeing the attackers "firing at any police officers who tried to approach the building", he said.

Rob Vandijk, who works at the Dutch embassy, said he was eating at a restaurant inside the mall when the attackers threw hand grenades inside the building.

He said he heard gunfire and people screaming as they dropped to the ground.

Shoppers leave the mall, which is situated in an affluent area of Nairobi

Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government tweeted: "We're doing our job to ensure that everyone is evacuated to safety. This is a scene of crime."

In a separate message, Kenya Police wrote: "We urge the public to remain calm, stop any form of speculation, especially online, and let us resolve this quickly."

Westgate is situated in western Nairobi and is popular with both foreigners and rich Kenyans.

According to the centre's website, it is the city's "premier shopping mall" and offers a "serene and safe enviornment away from the city centre hubbub".

It has more than 80 stores and features a waterfall with tropical gardens.

A spokesman for the Foreign Office advised British nationals to avoid the mall and the surrounding Westlands district.

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