Two dead in Nairobi building collapse

Kenyan officials say a residential building has collapsed in Nairobi, killing at least two people and injuring several others.

Kenyan military soldiers search for survivors of a building collapse
Kenyan officials say a residential building has collapsed in Nairobi, killing at least one person. (AAP)

At least two people have been killed and several others injured when a six-storey residential building collapsed in Nairobi.

Hospital officials said they had treated 28 survivors pulled out of the rubble of the building, situated in Nairobi's Haruma neighbourhood, but it remained unclear if others were still trapped.

Kenya's Red Cross said two people had died and 38 had been injured, with search and rescue operations continuing on Monday morning.

Sunday's building collapse sparked a major rescue operation involving scores of police, city officials and medical workers.

Speaking to Capital FM radio, Nairobi county official Tom Odongo said the six floors of the building were all occupied and a seventh was under construction.

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

He also said the upper floors were built in quick succession, putting pressure on the lower floors, and added that the construction had not been permitted by local authorities.

"The fault lies with the developer, not the county government, because responsibility starts with the individual," Odongo insisted.

Large numbers of people flocked to the scene, some helping to dig away the rubble with their bare hands, although crowds were pushed away by police as heavy lifting machinery and official rescue teams were brought in.

"I'd gone out to watch the Arsenal (football) game when the building collapsed," said Eric Ochieng, a resident of the building.

"I rushed back for my wife and son, and I also pulled out two people and a child in the process."

Kenya's KTN news channel said 20 ambulances had been put on stand-by in the area.

The collapsed building borders a primary school on one side and a maze of similar, densely populated houses on the other.


2 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world