A two-storey building under construction in Ngurubani, Kirinyaga county, collapsed on Wednesday May 22 evening, leaving two workers with serious injuries.
According to police reports, the collapse occurred while nine construction workers were still inside the building.
The building suddenly gave way, trapping the unsuspecting workers beneath the rubble.
Fortunately, seven of the workers managed to escape unhurt, but two sustained severe injuries.
Police officers from the nearby Wanguru station rushed to the scene immediately after receiving the distress call from neighboring residents.
Laws Violated
The Tebere Ward MCA, Peter Karinga, expressed his concerns about the incident, stating that the building owner had violated the stipulated rules of construction.
He also accused the County government’s structural engineer of negligence, suggesting that the authorities had failed to take appropriate action to prevent such incidents.
Also Read: Several People Feared Trapped as Another Building Collapses in Nairobi
“We were expecting them to have stopped this construction,” said the MCA.
Residents also voiced their concerns, alleging that county engineers have been accepting bribes from construction sites.
The injured workers were promptly transported to the Kimbimbi sub county hospital for medical treatment.
Another Building Collapse in Kirinyaga
This tragic incident came just two weeks after another building under construction collapsed in the Karia area of Kirinyaga Central, resulting in the death of a woman.
The incident occurred on Wednesday, May 1, 2024, when a 4-storey building under construction suddenly collapsed onto the woman’s house.
According to reports, the woman was inside her home when the building gave way, trapping her beneath the rubble.
Despite the efforts of rescue teams, she succumbed to her injuries.
Also Read: Death Reported as Four-Storey Building Collapses on Womans House
Two children who were also in the house at the time of the collapse were rescued, but not before they suffered injuries.
Confirming the incident, Kirinyaga Central police commander John Torori said that they had launched investigations into the incident, adding that police officers and officials from the county government arrived at the scene immediately to help in the rescue operation.
“We are waiting for the owner of the building and if we find he violated the stipulated rules of construction, action will be taken,” Torori said.
Preliminary investigations indicated that the building may have collapsed due to the heavy rains experienced throughout the most parts of the country.
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