At least two workers
were killed when the wall of a house under construction collapsed on them in
Nairobi’s Parklands area.
The wall had been
constructed to form part of the basement of the structure along Suswa Road when
the incident happened.
Police blamed the rains
that were experienced in the area on Saturday for the incident.
Other officials said
the wall was built on the beacons of the land, endangering other neighbours.
Nairobi County Chief Officer in
charge of Urban Planning and Development, Patrick Analo, said the site had been
condemned.
"The developer is required to present
himself to authorities for further interrogation," Analo said.
He added that several workers had been arrested at the same
site for undertaking an excavation without approved architectural building
plans.
A video taken at the scene captured how other workers at the scene struggled to save those trapped in the rubble.
The remaining part
of the wall collapsed amidst efforts to save the victims, forcing the rescuers
to escape there for their safety.
Emergency responders
visited the scene and retrieved the bodies to the mortuary.
Police and other
officials from the county government and the National Construction Authority said
they are investigating the tragedy.
The team visited the
scene on Sunday and Monday as part of the probe amid a push for proper
enforcement to address the menace.
This is the latest such incident to happen, affecting the construction sector amid calls for proper regulations.
Last week, a female worker died after falling from the fifth floor of a building under construction in Nairobi’s Kariokor area.
Police said the incident happened at the site along Gen Waruinge Road on Wednesday morning as the woman was busy at work.
The victim, identified as Linet Maina, 37, was among about 20 workers at the site when the accident happened.
She slipped through the void and landed on the second floor, sustaining fatal wounds.
Her body was moved to City Mortuary, awaiting autopsy.
Police said they were investigating another incident where a worker died at a construction site in Nairobi’s Eastleigh area when the latest one was reported.
The victim, identified as Frankline Makori, 42, was among a group of masons at the site along Galore Street when he slipped and fell from the seventh floor.
They were constructing the structure on Tuesday, May 6, when the incident happened.
He was rushed to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival with broken limbs.
Police visited the scene and ordered its closure pending an investigation.
