Everyone safe after building collapses in Nairobi

A five-story building collapsed in Kenya’s capital, Nairobi, on Tuesday night leading to a major rescue operation, led by the Kenya Red Cross. 

The building collapsed in Uthiru – on the outskirts of the city – with initial reports suggesting dozens of people were trapped beneath the rubble. 

But on Wednesday morning the Kenya Red Cross said all tenants of the building had been accounted for.

Ten others with minor injuries were treated at the scene, the aid agency added. 

Several videos shared online showed the apartment block tilted to the side as onlookers raised alarm. 

Bramwel Simiyu, the Nairobi disaster management chief officer, allayed fears of four missing residents, including a 10-year-old girl, saying all the 34 residents had been located and were safe, The Star news website reported. 

“The building was sinking slowly, and all the residents were able to jump out and managed to exit the building,” Mr Simiyu said.

He, however, said military sniffer dogs would be deployed to establish if there were more people trapped in the debris.

The East African nation has been experiencing unprecedented heavy rains since March that have claimed the lives of 238 people and displaced 235,000 others.

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