Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Al Jazeera
Al Jazeera
World
Al Jazeera and news agencies

Nairobi building collapse: Several killed, more feared trapped

A women rescued from the rubble is carried by rescuers at the scene of the building collapse in Nairobi [Baz Ratner/Reuters]

At least two people have been killed in Kenya's capital after the collapse of a six-storey residential building, as rescuers struggled to reach those feared trapped under a mountain of rubble.

It was not immediately clear how many people were inside when the structure fell on Friday morning. The Kenya Red Cross said in a Twitter post 11 people had been rescued by late afternoon.

More:

As rescue operations continued in Nairobi's Tassia estate, scores of people clustered around the pancaked structure waiting to find news of their family and friends.

The Associated Press news agency quoted officials as saying two people had been killed, with at least eight injured.

Separately, Reuben Ndolo, the Nairobi regional police commander, told Reuters news agency: "Three people have died, and 27 others have been rushed to hospital. One was seriously injured."

"Tragedy has struck us again," public works official Gordon Kihalangwa said. "Some people have been trapped inside and we are doing our best to free them."

Building collapses are common in Nairobi, where housing is in high demand and unscrupulous developers often bypass regulations.

After eight buildings collapsed and killed 15 people in Kenya in 2015, President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered an audit of all the country's buildings to see if they were up to code.

The National Construction Authority found that 58 percent of buildings in the capital were unfit for habitation.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.