Residents of a seven-storey apartment block in Nairobi’s Kahawa West narrowly escaped tragedy after the building abruptly collapsed. Shocking footage showed the structure reduced to rubble, though no fatalities have been confirmed.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja revealed that the County Planning Department had issued an evacuation notice to residents of the building last week. In a statement, Sakaja emphasized that the households had been warned about the building’s precarious condition.
The Kenya Red Cross reported that two individuals were rescued from the site and taken to Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral & Research Hospital for treatment. Rescue operations continue, with authorities expressing concerns that some residents may have remained inside despite the evacuation order.
In the wake of the collapse, two neighboring buildings displaying signs of structural failure were also evacuated as a precautionary measure.
The National Construction Authority disclosed that the building owner had been instructed to provide a structural integrity report, but the collapse occurred before any action was taken. Media reports suggest the Nairobi County urban planning department may bear responsibility for failing to enforce safety standards.
The collapse highlights ongoing issues in Nairobi’s housing sector, where high demand and unscrupulous developers often lead to the construction of unsafe buildings. This is part of a troubling pattern of building collapses in the Kenyan capital, where regulations are frequently bypassed.
Search and rescue efforts are ongoing as authorities work to ensure no one remains trapped under the debris.
(AP)
