All occupants of collapsed building in Kenya 'accounted for'

All occupants of collapsed building in Kenya 'accounted for'

A five-storey building collapsed in Uthiru near Kenya's capital Nairobi on Tuesday night.
The Kenya Red Cross said that a response team was swiftly dispatched after the building collapsed in Uthiru, Kiambu County on May 7, 2024. / Photo: Kenya Red Cross

All the occupants of a five-storey building that collapsed near Kenya's capital Nairobi on Tuesday have been accounted for.

The Kenya Red Cross said in a post on X network, formerly Twitter, that rescue teams had been deployed to the scene.

"A five-storey building has collapsed near Naivasha villas in Uthiru. Our response team has been dispatched," the Kenya Red Cross said at 9pm local time (18:00 GMT).

Uthiru is a ward in Kabete Constituency in Kiambu, a county that neighbours Nairobi.

The Kenya Red Cross in an update at 11:15pm (20:15 GMT) on Tuesday said: "Our team is attending to 10 casualties with minor injuries. Fortunately, all occupants have been accounted for."

Heavy rainfall

Many parts of Kenya have been experiencing heavy rainfall that has caused devastating floods that have claimed the lives of more than 228 people, according to government figures.

In Nairobi many roads have been rendered impassable due to floods, and homes marooned by the floodwaters.

Authorities in Nairobi and Kiambu counties are, however, on the record attributing the collapse of buildings to substandard workmanship, flouting construction regulations, and extending apartment floors beyond the original designs.

In November 2022, three people died after a seven-storey building collapsed in Nairobi, while 42 people died in the capital in 2019 after the collapse of a six-storey building.

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TRT Afrika