One person dead, several missing as Kaloleni building caves in

Rescue team search through rubbles of a five storey residential building that collapsed at Makongeni estate in Nairobi, 17th December, 2014. [PHOTO: JACOB OTIENO]

NAIROBI: At least one man died, while seven people were still missing by Wednesday evening after a six-storey building they were living in collapsed in Kaloleni, Nairobi.

Eight others were rescued alive from the rubble of the collapsed building hours after it caved in. Rescuers said they were in communication with at least five people who were trapped but warned it might take long to clear the debris.

The first, second and third floors of the building had been occupied despite it being under construction. Each floor had five single rooms which had already been occupied.

Most occupants were students of Technical University of Kenya and some had left for the Christmas holidays.

The building is one of the many that lie on a disputed wetland. Residents had protested construction in the area saying the land was a public utility and had been grabbed.

Police said they were looking for the building’s owner.

JAMMED DOOR

Six survivors were rescued at about 10am while two others - a mother and her child - were rescued at about 12.45pm. By then, the only crane from the National Youth Service (NYS) had managed to remove the three upper slabs. By lunch hour, the rescue speed under the scotching sun had slowed down even as the military also joined the mission.

Joint rescue efforts from the military, Kenya National Disaster Operation Centre, Kenya Red Cross Society, Nairobi City Fire Brigade and NYS were launched in efforts to rescue those who trapped.

Survivors said the building trembled whenever one ran up or down the staircase.

According to Eric Wambugu, Attorney General Githu Muigai’s driver, who was a tenant in the building, they first got alarmed at about 11pm on Tuesday when a huge amount of sand fell off a wall under construction and landed on the rear side of the building. “We all came out but went back because we had nowhere to go,” said Mr Wambugu.

Wambugu sustained a bruise on his right leg and was attended to at Kenyatta National Hospital before he was discharged.

He said Wednesday morning when he woke up, a big stone fell on the floor while another landed on his mosquito net.

Fearing the worst, Wambugu said he dashed towards his door but realised it had jammed because the building was then caving in. He said he tried to jump from the second floor to the ground one but slabs started falling, trapping him from his waist to the legs.

“After the dust had settled I realised there was a woman and child next to me and a few minutes later police arrived,” he said.

The officers dug and managed to remove him and the other two victims before they were rushed to hospital.

Wambugu estimated there were about 10 people in the building at the time of the collapse.

LOUD BANG

Government officials among them Lands Cabinet Secretary Charity Ngilu rushed to the scene following the collapse. The officials pledged action over the incident.

Nairobi deputy Governor Jonathan Mueke said they had not cleared the building for occupation. “We have learnt that the owner did not have the required documents to have the building occupied. He was constructing a sixth-floor while people were residing in the five floors which is risky,” Mueke said.

He said the county government was not aware the building existed.

County communications director Walter Mong’are defended the authorities saying some building owners and contractors submit requests with different sets of details.

“We are trying to curb the practice of contractors making requests and executing something different altogether after getting approval,” Mong’are said.

Another survivor Kenneth Rubia, 24, said he heard a loud bang before he raised the alarm.

Rubia, an engineer who lived with his sister on the second floor, said the incident happened at 3am.

“After sensing danger I told my sister to open the door so that we could flee for safety. The building collapsed when she was opening it and I never saw her again, she was trapped in the wreckage and I do not know her whereabouts,” he said.

He said the tenants had complained about the building’s poor condition.

Most students had chosen the building due to affordable charges (of Sh4,000 per month) and its proximity to the Central Business District, Rubia said.

Sixteen-year-old Caro Kathika, who sustained minor injuries in her legs and back, said she was asleep when their house collapsed.

Authorities have been raising alarm over the unapproved mushrooming buildings in the city.