Construction workers trapped as building collapses near Thika Road Mall

Residents mill near the building that collapsed and trapped construction workers on April 2, 2015 behind Thika Road Mall in Roysambu . PHOTO | PETER NGARE |

What you need to know:

  • The residential building that was under construction came down at 10.30am and most of those trapped are construction workers.

  • Residents said the four-storey building came up very fast and they had fears that it could come down.

  • Kasarani police chief Francis Sang’ said rescue teams had been called and some were already at the scene.

An unknown number of people are trapped under a building that collapsed on Thursday morning behind the Thika Road Mall in Roysambu.

The residential building that was under construction came down at 10.30am and most of those trapped are construction workers.

Kasarani police chief Francis Sang’ said rescue teams had been called and some were already at the scene.

“We already have the National Youth Service, the Red Cross and some other rescue teams. We are looking for the owner of the building,” he told Nation.co.ke.

CAME UP FAST

Residents said the four-storey building came up very fast and they had fears that it could come down.

“Since the building and opening of TRM, more than 20 flats have come up at a very fast rate. Possible cause of collapse of building,” a resident said.

Nairobi has in the past few months experienced a series of building tragedies, with several lives being lost.

On December 17, a five-storey residential building that was partly occupied and was still under construction collapsed in Kaloleni, killing seven,

HURUMA TRAGEDY

Three weeks later, another building collapsed in Huruma, killing five people and injuring several others.

Following the disaster, Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero suspended 18 county officials in charge of housing, including the chief officer in charge of Planning, Urban Development and Housing, Rose Muema, and Mr Jairus Kathenge, who is the director of enforcement and compliance.

Recently, the Nairobi City County government dismissed a report stating that a large number of buildings in the region are not up to the standards.

The report by Questworks, a design and engineering firm, also stated that at least three out of four buildings in Nairobi risked collapse in the event of an earth tremor.