Police in Nairobi says three persons have been confirmed dead after a building undergoing demolition collapsed at the Highrise estate in Nairobi on Wednesday,
Nairobi Regional Police Commander, Issa Mohamud, said that the collapse trapped at least 10 people.
”Rescuers have confirmed that three people were dead already in the tragedy, while the injured were admitted to hospitals,” he said.
Among those who died is a 12 year old child who was playing near the site when the building collapsed.
In a statement, the Kenya Red Cross said, “the collapsed structure was under construction. Six people have been rescued and are receiving medical care at Mbagathi Hospital. Our teams are still at the scene conducting response efforts.”
According to eyewitnesses, the building had already been vacated to pave the way to the construction of the government affordable project. However, a group of people had accessed the building to savage scrap metal and other reusable material when the building collapsed.
Search and rescue operations remain ongoing as authorities assess the full extent of the damage and investigate the cause of the collapse.
Authorities have urged all construction and demolition sites to strictly follow safety regulations and building standards to prevent similar accidents in the future.
NAN/Shakirat Sadiq
