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A three-story building in Kenya’s capital collapsed, trapping numerous people under the rubble.
The building, located in a densely populated area of Kenya’s capital, came down unexpectedly while people were inside retrieving their belongings.
According to a victim, a local resident, simply identified as Faith Opuko, “There might be about 8, 9 or 10 young men, who are trapped in there. The government has totally failed us today. Rescue efforts arrived too late, after five hours with no help.”
Eugene Atonga, a survivor of the collapse, described the chaotic scene as the building began to collapse.
“As people were trying to salvage their steel, the building started collapsing. Those who heard shouts of the building going down quickly got out, but some who were on the upper floors feared jumping, and the building caved in with them inside. I saw two people being crushed,” Atonga recounted.
A Red Cross official on the scene confirmed that two people had been rescued, while another two remained trapped. However, a local police chief indicated that only one person had been brought out alive.
The disaster has prompted immediate action from authorities, who have ordered the evacuation and demolition of several buildings in the area. These measures are in response to the unusually heavy rains that have plagued Kenya during its rainy season, which starts in March.
