One killed, four injured as building collapses

Nairobi, Kenya: One person died and four others injured after a building collapsed in Nairobi's Wakulima Market.

Steven Kariuki, a worker at the market who witnessed the incident, said tenants had been evicted from the building on Monday this week, following a directive by the owner to give room for demolition

He said youths in the area seized the opportunity and started cutting steel pillars that were holding part of the building.

"Youths saw this as a chance to steal what they could. They quickly moved in and started cutting the steel that was holding the building together from the second floor. That is when a concrete slab fell down, injuring the five who were on the lower floor," said Kariuki.

Central Police OCPD Paul Wanjama said he received information from the public that a building had collapsed at around 8.30am, and quickly rushed to the scene.

"We got information that a building had been raided by youths, which consequently collapsed on them. One person lost his life, but we were able to rush the four who were seriously injured to hospital," he said.

The building was home to various businesses, among them Nyota Tano Restaurant, and was adjacent to two other buildings on the same piece of land, where tenants had also been evicted. Two among those rushed to hospital sustained serious head injuries.