10-storey building collapse in Kenya: 2 people killed, several injured

A 10-storey building under construction collapsed killing 2 people in Malindi, Kenya on Friday 26 October 2018.

The building was located next to a petrol station in Malindi’s Barani area. Several people were trapped under the debris after is failure. 15 of them were rescued, 2 of them are still trapped while , unfortunately, 2 more were reported dead.

According to Hassan Musa, North Coast Regional Coordinator of Kenya's Red Cross Society (KRCS), one person died at the site while the other suffered injuries and finally passed away at the hospital. “Two people have died and two others are still trapped in the debris. We have rushed several survivors to hospital,” he said. Amason Kingi, Governor of Kilifi, visited the construction site and the hospital to sympathize with the victims.

The reason that caused the collapse is still unclear. It is possible that heavy rains that lasted for 3 consecutive days, caused flood in the region and triggered the incident. However, the failure could have been avoided. The project was supposed to stop construction works since August last year as construction regulations were not followed, according to the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA). However, the construction continued during night. In 2013, an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report had forced the construction to shut down for the same reason. 

Source: Standardmedia.co.ke