By Ebi Kesiena
Residents of Nairobi’s Kahawa West neighborhood are still struck in aftermath of the tragedy that occurred when a seven-story apartment block collapsed, leaving the area in disarray.
The collapse, captured in a shocking footage, reduced the once towering structure to rubble, prompting emergency services to launch a swift rescue mission.
In a statement, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja confirmed that the County Planning Department had issued an evacuation notice to tenants the previous week, warning them of the building’s structural instability.
However, despite the warning, some residents may not have vacated in time. It is feared that a few individuals, unable to secure alternative housing, may still have been inside when the building came down.
The Kenya Red Cross said on Sunday that two people have been rescued and taken to the Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral & Research Hospital.
Two adjacent buildings have exhibited signs of structural failures, and tenants have been evacuated. A search and rescue mission are still underway.
Although the edifice had been condemned and tenants ordered to vacate, it is feared some may not have found an alternative place and might have been still inside.
Meanwhile, the National Construction Authority said the building owner was directed to provide a structural integrity report. But the structure collapsed before this was done.
Media reports suggest the Nairobi County urban planning department is at fault.
Housing is in high demand in Nairobi and unscrupulous developers often bypass regulations, leading to a history of Building collapses in the Kenyan capital.
