KDF team believes there are people still alive in ill-fated flat

The seven-month-old baby, Dealeryn Saisi, who was rescued from the collapsed Huruma building on Tuesday, at the at Kenyatta National Hospital on May 4, 2016. PHOTO | WILLIAM OERI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • The team from Engineering Brigade’s Disaster Response Unit said it is past half-way through the operation.

  • The team arrived at the site on Fiday at 11.30pm and has been in charge of the operation since then, with assistance from other rescuing team.

  • The six-storey building with 301 single rooms was divided into three sections.

  • By press time on Wednesday, the death toll stood at 28 while those who had  been rescued were 136.

The Kenya Defence Forces team in charge of rescue operations at the collapsed Huruma Estate building in Nairobi says it will clear the debris by end of Friday.

The team from Engineering Brigade’s Disaster Response Unit said it is past half-way through the operation.

The team arrived at the site on Fiday at 11.30pm and has been in charge of the operation since then, with assistance from other rescuing team.

Deputy Commander of the Engineering Brigade Stephen Radina said: “We are working round the clock. We are not taking any breaks because we still believe there are people who are still alive in the rubble considering we rescued baby Dealeryn Saisi on Tuesday morning. We still have hope.”

The six-storey building with 301 single rooms was divided into three sections.

Rescuers said they are removing debris from one section at a time.

By press time on Wednesday, the death toll stood at 28 while those who had  been rescued were 136.

“Our team is made up of troops of 20-30 personnel who interchange between shifts depending on the needs on the ground,” Col Radina said.

He said they are facing several challenges including lack of enough space as buildings in the area are too close to each other.

Thus, it is difficult for their buldozers to access the collapsed house. Even worse is that the house had been built too close to a river.

“The space is very between house is limited especially because we are using buldozers to clear the debris.  Our personnel are accessing the site on foot,” said Col Radina.

He added: “Another major challenge is that the materials used to build the flat are of poor quality. It is therefore not easy to pick up the slabs because they simply crumble.”

KDF Disaster Response Unit Commander Joseph Maritim said the ‘pancake collapse’ of the building where floors fall on those below them had made it hard for them to reach those trapped in the building.

The KDF specialized team trained in Israel uses cameras and spotlights to trace people and bodies.