3 feared dead as pit latrine collapses at Nyeri school
The pit latrine at Kiandu High School in Nyeri County, whose wall collapsed as it was being dug on June 5, 2019, leaving three casual labourers unaccounted for. PHOTO | NICHOLAS KOMU | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- It was said that the three were among eight people contracted to dig the latrine. A wall collapsed at about 1pm, burying them as the group did the work.
- Rescuers from the Kenya Red Cross Society and the Nyeri County Fire Department joined police and residents in searching for the casual labourers.
- It is believed that the wall collapsed as the soil had been loosened by rains.
- Red Cross asked the people to be on the lookout for landslides.
Three people were feared dead on Wednesday following the collapse of a pit latrine they were digging at Kiandu High School in Nyeri County.
It was said that the three were among eight people contracted to do the job.
A wall collapsed at about 1pm, burying the three as the group did the work.
The others escaped death in the 40-foot pit by a whisker. Two suffered minor injuries while trying to rescue their colleagues.
RESCUE MISSION
Rescuers from the Kenya Red Cross Society and the Nyeri County Fire Department joined police and residents in searching for the casual labourers.
“We are doing all we can to make the operation a success," said Gitonga Mugambi, the Red Cross Central Regional Coordinator.
"It is a delicate operation but we will not leave the scene until the mission is concluded."
RAINS
It is believed that the wall collapsed as the soil had been loosened by rains.
Nine students were injured in a similar incident earlier in the week at Ndiaini Girls' Secondary School in Mukurwe-Ini.
Red Cross asked the people to be on the lookout for landslides.
“During this rainy season, people should be extra-cautious when crossing rivers and digging pits. The ground is loose due to the rainwater. Disasters could occur if it is disturbed,” Mr Mugambi said.
