Industry News
Construction Worker Dies in Tragic Elevator Accident
Worker fell to death while installing elevator in Mombasa skyscraper.
A man fell to his death while installing a new elevator in an under-construction building in Mombasa on Monday, sparking outrage over rising on-site fatalities.
The middle-aged man, who was working on the 18-storey building opposite Sauti House, died on the spot, while his colleague jumped from the lift and escaped.
The body, which was found facing down in the elevator shaft, was retrieved by police and the Mombasa County Fire Department an hour after the incident.
“The victim was removed from the lift without any safety gadgets,” said Dan Manyalla, the County Executive Committee Member for Roads and Infrastructure.
“We will look at the legality of the building to see if it has approvals from the county. We will make sure that a thorough investigation is done, and if they are culpable, people will be brought to book,” he added.
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While it is still unclear how and why the accident occurred, human rights officials believe the accident could have been entirely prevented, indicating that negligence played a significant role in the tragic event and the victim’s death.
“A worker has lost his life because of non-compliance with safety measures. I am appalled that someone has lost his life due to negligence,” said Francis Auma, the Rapid Response Officer from Muslim for Human Rights (MUHURI).
He added that the Monday fatality marked the third death occurring in skyscrapers under construction in various parts of Mombasa in two years.
The incident echoed the August 2021 crane accident in Nairobi’s Hurlingham area, where nine construction workers died when a tower crane collapsed.
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The victims, including two Chinese men, were in a group of ten workers dismantling the crane after concluding exterior painting works before it suddenly collapsed.
On December 2, 2023, four people died and several were injured after falling off the 15th floor of a building that was under-construction in Pangani, Nairobi.
The incident on Mukunga Street occurred when the building’s scaffolding suddenly collapsed with several workers on board.
Investigations revealed that the scaffolding structure of the building lacked proper maintenance, leading to its deadly collapse.
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