Kenyan building collapse near Nairobi kills six people

Following on the heels of a similar accident three weeks ago, the incident is encouraging calls for improved safety oversight on construction sites. The structure fell on Friday morning in Syokimau on the outskirts of Nairobi. Coming on the heels of a similar recent incident in the capital, the accident has revived calls for stronger safety oversight.

Construction workers were reportedly at the site when the building’s uppermost concrete slab gave way, bringing down part of the structure, according to a preliminary report from Nairobi City County’s emergency team. The report did not establish why the slab failed. The Kenya Red Cross initially reported that three people had been rescued and one person was reported missing.

TV reports later said that five people had been pulled alive from the rubble and taken to hospital. The emergency report said the number of workers present when the building fell had not been confirmed, leaving open the possibility that others were trapped.