Mother, two children die as Kiambu building caves onto adjacent houses

Kiambu Building Collapses onto adjacent houses

Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi (in white helmet) at Kirigiti, Kiambu where a six-storey building under construction collapsed killing a mother and her two children in an adjacent apartment.

Photo credit: Simon Ciuru | Nation Media Group

Three people among them a mother and her two children died in Kirigiti, Kiambu, on Monday morning after a six-storey building under construction caved onto adjacent residential houses.

The victims were tenants in an adjacent apartment and succumbed to injuries while being rushed to Kiambu level 5 hospital, the police said.

So far, seven people have been evacuated from the debris, Kiambu county commissioner Joshua Nkanatha told the Nation at the scene.

He was accompanied by Kiambu Governor Kimani Wamatangi who condoled with the bereaved families promising to look into the matter to ascertain whether all approvals were met before the developer embarked on the construction.

“It is unfortunate that we have lost three lives this morning and my administration will make sure these incidences do not occur anymore. Currently we are working with other government agencies to ascertain whether the developer had met all the necessary requirements and approvals before embarking with the construction. If not, necessary action will be taken,” Mr Wamatangi said.

People trapped

Kenya Red Cross officials, Kiambu County Fire and Disaster Management Department, Kenya Police and Kenya Defense Forces are combing through the debris to evacuate over ten people who said to be trapped.

“We have rescued seven people from the building and as you can see we are working tirelessly to rescue more who are said to be trapped inside,” Mr Nkanatha said.

Last year in October, a nine storey building under construction in Ruiru, near Tatu City, in Kiambu County, collapsed, Luckily, no workers were on site given it was on Sunday.

On August 31 last year, another five storey building under construction in Gachie, Kiambu collapsed, killing five people.