NAIROBI, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan authorities confirmed on Friday that 405 workers have been accounted for after an eight-story building under construction caved in, killing six people and injuring five others.
The authorities said a multi-agency emergency response team confirmed the recovery of the six bodies from the collapse site on the outskirts of the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.
Patrick Simiyu Were, the county commissioner for the Nairobi East Sub-Region, said preliminary reports indicate that the upper section of the building gave way during concreting works, with suspected formwork failure cited as a possible contributing factor.
He added that the site has been closed and secured pending structural assessments and investigations by relevant government agencies into the cause of the collapse, which occurred at approximately 9:52 a.m. local time (0652 GMT).
Emergency response teams rushed to the scene to assess the collapse and check for any additional casualties.
Nairobi Regional Police Commander Issa Mohamud also confirmed that rescue teams had accounted for all workers at the site.
Police and witnesses said three bodies were retrieved during initial morning operations, while three more were later recovered from the debris. All were middle-aged men.
The incident has renewed concerns over construction site safety in Nairobi, particularly regarding compliance with structural engineering standards and safety protocols during high-rise projects.
It comes weeks after an 18-story building under construction collapsed along 9th Street in Nairobi's Eastleigh neighborhood on Oct. 23, killing eight people and trapping several others beneath tonnes of concrete and debris.
Authorities said investigations into that incident are still ongoing.
Dozens of workers have died in similar structural failures across Kenya in recent years.
The latest incident underscores a recurring crisis in the country, where several incomplete buildings have collapsed in recent months, frequently resulting in casualties.
Building experts have repeatedly criticized regulatory authorities for lax oversight, citing widespread failures to enforce construction protocols and conduct routine inspections.
In response to previous disasters, authorities have consistently urged developers, contractors, and regulatory bodies to strictly adhere to safety standards to safeguard workers and the public. ■
