Death toll from Huruma building collapse rises to 3

The death toll from a collapsed five-storey building in Nairobi has risen to 3 from 1, after a body was retrieved from the debris on Sunday morning while another died while being rushed to hospital, officials said on Sunday afternoon.

The building located in Huruma in eastern Nairobi collapsed around 1:30am on Sunday after heavy rainfall, leaving a trail of death and destruction in the city estate.

The Kenya Red Cross said that four people had been rescued and taken to hospital.

“Search and rescue operations are ongoing to rescue survivors,” it said.

Teams from the Kenya Red Cross, National Police Service, the National Youth Service (NYS), Nairobi County, and Doctors Without Borders are undertaking the rescue operations.

READ: Death traps: Why buildings collapse so frequently in Kenya

National Disaster Management Unit Deputy Director Pius Masai told journalists that the site of the Huruma building collapse is difficult to access due to congestion and narrows paths that have delayed rescue operations.

“We have enough equipment and personnel. What is delaying us is entrance to the scene,” Mr Masai said.

A tenant in one of the nearby buildings said the collapsed building had developed cracks and many of its occupants had moved out before it came tumbling down.

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