A six-story building fell in Kirigiti located in Kiambu county in central Kenya, resulting in six fatalities, injuring and trapping dozens others in the early hours of Monday. Soldiers, Kenya Red Cross employees, National Youth Service officials, and local volunteers were all present at the scene at the time of reporting.
The 6-story building which was still under construction is said to have fell around 05:30am local time (02:30 GMT). The majority of the casualties are believed to have been inside nearby homes, according to eye witnesses.
Among the victims is a toddler who was extracted from the rubble by rescuers now working on the scene to rescue more people who are believed to be trapped under the debris. Among those rescued “several are suspected to have succumbed to their injuries,” said Kiambu county governor Kimani Wamatangi.
Though the cause of the collapse is still unknown, shoddy construction or poor structural design has been notorious for building failures in Kenya.
Governor Wamatangi told reporters while assisting with rescue attempts, “What we’ve seen here is awful… it can’t be allowed to happen.” He requested the police to assist in enforcing construction codes.
