BUILDING COLLAPSE

Death toll from Tassia tragedy rises to seven

Five bodies were retrieved from the scene while two died at Mama Lucy Hospital.

In Summary

• Two people were rescued on Saturday night while two more bodies were retrieved on Sunday.

• Embakasi assistant county commissioner James Wanyoike said that they will not leave the site until they complete the search of all floors.

Ongoing rescue operations at Tassia in Embakasi East on Sunday, December 8, 2019.
Ongoing rescue operations at Tassia in Embakasi East on Sunday, December 8, 2019.
Image: GEORGE OWITI

The death toll from the Tassia estate tragedy has risen to seven.

Two people were rescued on Saturday night while two more bodies were retrieved on Sunday.

A total of 35 people have so far been rescued from the rubble.

Embakasi assistant county commissioner James Wanyoike on Sunday said that five bodies were retrieved from the scene while two died at Mama Lucy Hospital.

 
 
 

Addressing the press at the scene, Wanyoike said that they will not leave the site until they complete the search of all the floors.

Five floors have been covered in the operation leaving two slabs to go.

"If rains do not interfere with the operations then we will hopefully be done with the job on Monday," Wanyoike said.

The administrator said that the operations had received a boost after they got another excavator from the Ministry of Roads and Public Works.

Residents watched the rescue operations led by KDF officers.

Tenants in neighbouring houses from the site have been ordered to vacate.

A nearby one-storey mabati structure has also been pulled down.

 
 
 

Kenya Red Cross has opened an enquiry desk at the scene with their counsellors attending to affected families.


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