Death toll in Mlolongo building tragedy rises to six

By DANIEL NZIA 

The death toll in the Mlolongo tragedy in Mavoko County where a building collapsed has risen to six after two more bodies were pulled out of the rubble.

The bodies, believed to be of a couple who ran a hotel on the ground floor of the four storey building were pulled from the debris about 5.30pm on Sunday.

There was a moment of anxiety as relatives demanded to identify the victims whose bodies had been packed in white bags.

But they were informed they could only do so at the morgue as required by law. Some relatives were then allowed to board the vehicle.

Earlier in the day, Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka and assistant minister Wavinya Ndeti had separately visited the site and termed the tragedy unfortunate.

Rescue efforts that lasted nearly 30 hours was spearheaded by disaster management experts from the military, the Kenya Red Cross Society and fire brigade.

The Redcross Society acting Disaster Management officer in charge Lower Eastern Mr Joel Mbalu said the rescue mission was concluded at midnight on Sunday.

“The exercise was called off at midnight after rescuers cleared all the debris to the basement.” he told The Standard on telephone.

Mbalu said seven victims of the tragedy were still in hospital adding an identified male victim was in a comma.

Meanwhile, people of ukambani joined the rest of the country in mourning the deaths of Internal Security minister Prof George Saitoti, his Deputy Orwa Ojode and four others.

Leaders in the region led the community in paying tribute to the departed leaders, their body guards and the two pilots. Education minister Mutula Kilonzo condoled with the families and relatives of the late Prof Saitoti and Ojode.

“I was deeply saddened by the news of the deaths of the two cabinet ministers and the other four Kenyans who perished in their line of duty,” observed Mutula.

The Mbooni MP sent his message of condolences to the families of the deceased and prayed to God to give them strength at this trying moment.

A close allay of Prof Saitoti who is also the PNU coordinator in Ukambani Mr Alphonse Musyoki expressed shock at his death. Former Machakos Town MP who hosted Saitoti in Machakos two weeks ago asked the government to investigate the crash.