A three-story building undergoing demolition in Nairobi, Kenya, collapsed, leaving many individuals trapped beneath the rubble. The collapse occurred while people were inside, attempting to salvage their belongings.
According to Faith Pouko, a resident, up to 10 young men are believed to be trapped in the debris. She expressed profound disappointment in the government, highlighting that rescue efforts were delayed, with no help provided for five hours.
One of the survivors, Eugene Atonga said, “As people were trying to salvage their steel, the building started collapsing. Those who heard shouts of the building going down, quickly got out, but some who were on the upper floors feared jumping and the building caved in with them inside. I saw two people being crushed.”
A Red Cross official at the site reported that two individuals had been rescued, with two others still trapped, while a local police chief contradicted this, stating that only one person had been brought out alive.
In response to the situation, authorities have mandated the evacuation and demolition of several buildings in the vicinity. This action follows heavy rains that began in March and are forecasted to persist until June, leading to widespread flooding and heightening the risk of structural collapses in numerous buildings.
Amidst the ongoing rescue operation, the community is demanding accountability for the delayed emergency response. The incident underscores pressing concerns regarding building safety standards and the readiness of disaster response teams to tackle natural disasters exacerbated by climate change.