Death toll from collapse of Nairobi building hits 7 – Kenyan police

By Reuters and Goobjoog News

The death toll from the collapse of a six-storey building in Kenya’s capital has risen to seven and the number of injured stands at 121, police said on Saturday, as rescue operations continued to pull others from under the rubble.

The building collapsed in Nairobi’s Huruma residential estate late on Friday after days of heavy rains that have left several parts of the city flooded.

“Seven people are confirmed dead and 121 people have been rescued and rushed to various hospitals in Nairobi,” Japheth Koome, Nairobi County police boss, told Reuters by phone.

“The search and rescue operation is ongoing for people feared trapped inside the collapsed building of the six-storey building.”

Police Spokesman Charles Owino said rescue operations were still ongoing. “We are still on the scene and we are removing the debris. We pray that we will be able to rescue more in case they are still there,” said Owino

On Saturday Kenyan television stations showed rescue and security workers sifting through the rubble. It is not known how many people were in the building at the time of its collapse.

Kenya Red Cross said on its Twitter feed late on Friday that people from 150 households were taking shelter in a nearby village.