Six-floor building collapses in Nairobi, Kenya, at least two killed
- Residents are helping rescue those trapped in the building in Tassia Estate, Nairobi
- Building collapses are common in Kenya, where unscrupulous developers often bypass safety regulations
A six-storey residential building collapsed in Kenya’s capital on Friday, officials said, with at least two people killed and others trapped in the debris.
The scene was all too familiar in a city where an audit once found more than half of buildings unsafe for habitation.
Video footage from the scene showed people cheering as one dust-covered person was carried away on a stretcher, one arm outstretched. Soon afterward the crowd hushed as another person was carried away, covered completely by a blanket. Later another two people were carried away, one with their head uncovered and the other completely shrouded.
Nairobi county police chief Philip Ndolo said at least 10 people had been rescued by residents of Tassia estate using their bare hands.
Eight people were taken to a hospital, Nairobi regional commissioner Wilson Njenga said.
“Tragedy has struck us again,” public works official Gordon Kihalangwa said. “Some people have been trapped inside and we are doing our best to free them.”