Seven Dead After Six Storey Building Collapsed In Kenya After Heavy Rainfall And Flooding

NAIROBI – A six storey building in Huruma residential area, in northeast Nairobi, Kenya  collapsed  on Friday night, leaving seven people dead.

So far 58 survivors have been reportedly rescued from the collapsed building, while the  wounded were rushed to Kenyatta National Hospital’ Many more  victims are reportedly still trapped in the rubble.

The residential building was situated in a low income area of  collapsed on Friday night following  heavy rainfall and flooding

Rescue teams, were delayed in long traffic jams which built up because of flooded roads

Two buildings reportedly belonging to the same person, including the collapsed building were situated next to each  other and constructed  too close to a river.

Accomodation in Kenya is a massive struggle, with many people settling for substandard accomodation, unfit for residence as supply cannot meet the high demand for housing in Nairobi.

As is common in the third word, many  developers bypass building regulations to limit costs, a case similar to the recent reports about Zimbabwe’s Bulawayo City buildings

On the 24th April 2016, Zimbabwe’s media reported that a massive housing scam had  been unearthed in Zimbabwe’s second largest city, Bulawayo with council officials deliberately ignoring set procedures a regulations in the allocation and development of stands.

This resulted in numerous Bulawayo city buildings being constructed without plan,  while at the same time  infill stands are regularly still being  allocated by Bulawayo city council despite a ban stretching as far back as the year 2010.

Bulawayo City Council has adamantly stood its ground and refused to  demolish the unapproved buildings even though local community residents pressure groups have raised numerous complaints  over this discrepancy.

Public safety is therefore highly at risk in illegal, unapproved Bulawayo City Buildings, some with inexistent plans in place yet inhabited or in regular use, while the public are not aware of the state of buildings.

The owners of the buildings and property developers, are generally filthy rich unscrupulous dealers who prey upon other people’s suffering and don’t bat an eye lid when such disasters occur across the  African continent.

By Sibusiso Ngwenya

photo-Bulawayo city council

Leave a Comment