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An under-construction skyscraper collapsed in the busy Eastleigh neighborhood of Kenya’s capital Nairobi as more than a dozen floors piled on top of each other
An 18-storey skyscraper has collapsed in Kenya with many feared trapped under the rubble.
The building collapsed in the Kenyan capital Nairobi as clouds of dust were thrown into the air as more than a dozen floors pancaked on top of each other in the horrific injustice.
The building, which was approximately 18 stories high, was located in the densely populated Eastleigh neighborhood that is full of residents and merchants.
Search and rescue teams were sent to the site of the disaster after the building, which was under construction when it collapsed, came down in a huge pile of rubble.
Rescue operations were complicated by people who began looting nearby businesses, with police firing tear gas as officers sought to clear the area and provide access to emergency response teams.
Joseph Kaula, a plasterer working on the fifth floor, said he had just made it before the collapse. He described hearing screams and seeing other workers running outside, shouting that the building was collapsing.
“I was the last person to get out before it collapsed and the whole area was filled with dust,” Kaula said. He added that some of his colleagues may be trapped in the basement.
Nairobi police chief Issa Mohamud said the building had more than 10 upper floors under construction at the time of the collapse. He added that an injured woman was rescued and hospitalized, and another person who cried for help was calmed down.
Mr Mohamud also warned of a possible secondary collapse, as the collapsed building was leaning on its neighbour.
The emergency response was lacking, according to reports from the scene. There was little in the way of heavy equipment immediately available after the collapse. Hours later, a group of rescue workers in hard hats used poles strewn from trees to pick at the large pile of debris.
An excavator arrived at the site and began moving away the steel-bound concrete, allowing emergency services to reach the basement and ground level, which was rented out to an electronics store, a butcher shop and a grocery store, while construction continued on the upper floors.
“We expect more machines so that we can remove the boulders,” said the police chief.
Residents said some of their loved ones who were trapped made phone calls calling for help immediately after the collapse, but that their phones later became unreachable.
Construction waste is a recurring problem in Nairobi. County officials responsible for issuing building permits have been accused of failing to conduct adequate inspections to ensure developers comply with safety guidelines and building standards.
“Investigations are being carried out,” Mohamud said. “We will make sure that people face the law for any negligence.”
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja said the building was approved for construction but did not have an occupancy certificate, so opening shops on the ground floor was against the law. Kenya’s county governments need stronger enforcement powers, he said, arguing that lenient penalties for non-compliance are just a “slap on the wrist” for developers who violate regulations.
