A 16-storey building under construction has collapsed in the Kenyan capital. There are people trapped under the rubble
A 16-storey block of flats under construction collapsed on Friday in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi. Following the collapse, four people were trapped under the rubble.
Collapsed block in Nairobi PHOTO: X
Rescue teams are digging through the rubble. The building was in an area of Nairobi known as South C, according to the Kenya Red Cross.
According to the Kenyan publication Tuko, the 16-storey building suddenly collapsed, sending thick clouds of dust into the air and scattering debris on nearby streets.
A multi-agency response team responded to the scene to manage the situation, according to the Associated Press.
Four people are trapped under the rubble, according to Kenya's secretary of state for public services.
Safia Ali Aden, the sister of a man trapped under the rubble, told reporters who arrived at the scene that her brother made a phone call “towhile he was there”.
“We are asking the government to speed up rescue operations to find my brother alive,” the woman stated.
At the moment, the cause of the collapse of the block is not known.
Block collapses, frequent in Nairobi
Demand for new housing is high and some real estate developers are flouting building regulations or codes. In 2015, eight blocks of flats collapsed and 15 people died.
Kenya's presidency later ordered an audit of blocks across the country to see if they were up to code. The National Building Authority found at the time that 58% of Nairobi's blocks of flats were unfit for habitation.
