Syokimau building collapses leaving six dead

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At least six people were confirmed dead after a building that was under construction caved in near SGR terminus along Mombasa Road.

According to witnesses, the building collapsed around 8am in the morning when construction workers were already busy when the incident struck.

Some traders who operate eateries in the area said it was still raining when they heard loud tremors followed by screams from the trapped workers.

"It was still raining when the incident happened, we heard loud bang then workers started calling for help," Anna Wanjiru, one of the traders, said

Adding, "it took about an hour for rescuers to arrive and seal off the site so as to rescue them, six men died and about five of them sustained injuries."

At the time, the workers were on the eighth floor where a section or the floor caved in catching the workers off guard.

Nairobi County Chief Officer for Disaster Management Bramwel Simiyu said preliminary reports indicated that the top slab of the building caved in while construction workers were actively on site.

"Five casualties have been pulled from the rubble alive and are receiving emergency medical care. Six fatalities have been recorded, all male," Simiyu stated

In a statement, the Chief Officer added that the exact number of workers who were on site at the time of the collapse was yet to be established.

"Search and rescue teams are actively combing the debris to locate any individuals who may remain trapped," he stated

Adding, "The Nairobi City County Fire team and the Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) Team are currently on site,"

The collapse comes barely one month after a similar incident occurred in Eastleigh, killing eight people, mostly construction workers.