International

Kenya building collapse: Death toll rises to 16

Published

8 years ago

May 1, 2016

Kenya building collapse: Death toll rises to 16

Officials of Kenya Red Cross revealed on Sunday that the death toll arising from a collapsed six-storey apartment in Nairobi has risen from 10 to 16 but officials have still declined to be drawn on how many more people might be still under the rubble.

The 198-room building in Huruma in eastern Nairobi collapsed on Friday night after heavy rain and rescue work was continuing on Sunday.

President Uhuru Kenyatta, who visited the site of the collapse, told officials “to undertake an immediate survey of all the houses in the area to find out those which are at risk of collapsing”.

The President also ordered the arrest of the owners of the building, which had been condemned by the authorities.

“Those people who have died in Huruma have died an unnecessary death. That death is a product of corruption. And that is what we must fight in Nairobi,” legislator Johnson Sakaja said during Labour Day celebrations in the capital.

The Kenya Red Cross said in a statement 16 deaths had been confirmed and 135 people injured and treated for their injuries.

“Search and rescue operations are ongoing to rescue survivors that may still be trapped under the rubble,” it said.

A child miraculously survived under the rubble for 10 hours before rescuers came to his aid and according to Nairobi Deputy Governor, Jonathan Mueke, an investigation has been launched into the immediate and remote cause of the collapsed apartment.

“The building went down during the heavy rains, but we still want to establish if all the procedures were followed when it was constructed,” he said.

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