Story By Staff Reporter
A tall building collapsed Friday in Kenya’s capital, and rescuers fear many people are trapped under the rubble. The collapse left a huge mound of concrete. More than a dozen floors lie stacked like pancakes, with little space between them.
What happened
The building collapsed at about 1 p.m. while still under construction. It stood along a busy commercial street in Nairobi’s Eastleigh area. Thousands of traders and residents often crowd the neighborhood.
Nairobi police chief Issa Mohamud said the building had more than 10 upper floors under construction.
Rescue efforts
Looting complicated the rescue. Police fired tear gas at people who began looting neighboring shops. Officers wanted to clear the area and give emergency teams access.
Rescuers had little heavy equipment at first. Hours later, a group in hard hats used poles stripped from trees to poke at the rubble. One excavator began to move concrete bound with steel away. By evening, at least two more back shovels arrived.
Rescuers hope to reach any spaces left in the basement and ground level. The owner had rented the ground level to an electronics shop, a butchery and a grocery while construction continued above.
Rescuers pulled out one injured woman, and she went to the hospital. Another person who had been crying for help went silent, the police chief said. Mohamud also warned of a possible secondary collapse, because the collapsed building leans on its neighbor.
Survivor and family accounts
Joseph Kaula made it out just in time. He was working as a plasterer on the fifth floor when he heard screams. He saw other workers rushing outside and shouting that the building was collapsing.
“I was the last person to walk out before it collapsed and the whole area was filled with dust,” Kaula said. He suspects a few of his colleagues are trapped in the basement.
Residents said some trapped loved ones phoned for help right after the collapse. Their phones later became unreachable. Officials set up a tent where people can report missing relatives. Nobody yet knows how many people are inside the wreckage.
Why building collapses keep happening in Nairobi
Building collapses are a recurring problem in Nairobi. Critics accuse the county officials who issue building permits of failing to inspect adequately. They say officials don’t ensure developers follow safety guidelines and construction standards.
“Investigations will be carried out,” Mohamud said. “We’ll make sure people face the law for any negligence.”
Nairobi Gov. Johnson Sakaja said officials approved the building for construction. However, it had no certificate of occupation, so opening shops on the ground floor was against the law. He argued that Kenya’s county governments need stronger enforcement powers. Lenient penalties, he said, are just a “slap on the wrist” for developers who violate regulations.
