Thai hotel staff head home after surviving Nairobi terrorism

Kenyan soldiers escort staff and patrons from the Dusit International-managed DusitD2 hotel in Nairobi on Tuesday. (AP photo)

Four employees of the Dusit International hotel chain in Kenya are on their way back to Thailand, following Tuesday's terrorist attack at the Nairobi DusitD2 hotel.

The three remaining Thai employees at the hotel will return home this week, said a source who asked not to be named.

No Thais were hurt in the attack. Al-Shabaab, a Somalian group linked with al-Qaeda, has credibly claimed responsibility for the attack, which killed 14 people.

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta said Wednesday that all of the attackers have been "eliminated". In a televised address, he did not say how many attackers were involved, but that more than 700 people were evacuated.

A young Thai masseuse who works in the hotel compound told the Bangkok Post, "I thought I would die."

She was among the spa's four staffers who were on duty when the terrorists broke into the compound.

The masseuse, who asked not to be named, said she was about to massage a client when she heard loud noises outside the spa.

She said she was not aware that the hotel was under attack until she heard gunshots and saw the blood-soaked shirts of injured people.

Several members of staff decided to run, but as they neared the exit, the terrorists targeted them and opened fire.

At one point, the staff had to take cover behind a tree before crossing the hotel's lawn, one by one.

"The noise of the gunshots is still in my head right now," she said.

"The gunshots seemed to be never ending."

The hotel is managed and operated by Dusit International executives based in Bangkok. An official spokesman refused to say who owns the extensive hotel-spa complex, but it is believed to be an Israeli firm or individual.

Dusit Hotels & Resorts issued a statement, saying the management and staff were "devastated by the incident". To ensure the safety of the guests, upcoming reservations at the DusitD2 will be moved to a different location.

Relatives and friends of hotel guests and/or employees may contact DusitD2 Hotel General Manager Michael Metaxas michael.metaxas@dusit.com, and Director of Human Resources Mandeep Degon at mandeep.degon@ dusit.com, or at +254 73 39 23 008, for further information.