Kenya: Multistory building collapses in Nairobi
October 20, 2024
Several families are believed to be trapped under rubble after an eight-story residential building collapsed in Nairobi, Kenya, on Sunday.
Officials said the building, located in the densely-populated Kahawa West neighborhood, had been condemned for demolition.
At least two people have been rescued, the Kenyan Red Cross said on social media.
"The search and rescue operation continues, thanks to the multi-agency response team," it added.
Minimal casualties expected
The apartment block had been built and occupied without approval from city authorities, according to documents seen by the AFP news agency.
"Casualties are expected to be minimal as the building had been condemned and evacuations effected," Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja said on social media.
Nevertheless, former residents of the building expressed disbelief about the timing of the incident.
"I don't feel good because I moved out yesterday. I am shaky, I am stressed. I have friends whose belongings have been destroyed in there," one woman told AFP.
Kenya is in the midst of a construction boom, but corruption has enabled some contractors to cut corners or skirt regulations. In 2022, five people were killed when a six-story building also collapsed in Nairobi.
zc/jcg (AFP, EFE)