At least 15 people were missing on Tuesday after a seven-story residential building gave way in Nairobi, Kenya, highlighting once again the problem of shoddy construction in one of the world’s fastest-growing cities.
The building began to show signs of imminent collapse on Monday evening, and most of its inhabitants had left after warnings from officials, according to an official briefing posted by the Kenyan Red Cross. But several residents refused to leave, and they were unaccounted for after the building gave way later that night.
At least 15 people were missing on Tuesday after a seven-story residential building gave way in Nairobi, Kenya, highlighting once again the problem of shoddy construction in one of the world’s fastest-growing cities.
The building began to show signs of imminent collapse on Monday evening, and most of its inhabitants had left after warnings from officials, according to an official briefing posted by the Kenyan Red Cross. But several residents refused to leave, and they were unaccounted for after the building gave way later that night.
Residents of the building said they had noticed cracks a week ago, and that the owners had covered them over with cement. But on Monday evening, they said, serious cracking emerged again, prompting the evacuation order.
Shoddy construction is a big problem in Nairobi, which has a population approaching four million, half of whom live in substandard dwellings. Many lack adequate infrastructure, and contractors routinely flout building codes.
Nairobi’s governor, Evans Kidero, speaking at the scene of the collapse, said that the Kenyan capital had at least 30,000 to 40,000 buildings constructed without approval and at risk of failure.
Tragedies involving building collapses have become regular occurrences in Nairobi.
In April 2016, dozens of people died when a building gave way during a downpour. The government ordered the demolition of many other buildings after that.
On Tuesday, police fired tear gas after residents angered by the slow deployment of government rescuers hurled stones, slowing search and rescue efforts, a resident, Hailey Akinyi, told The Associated Press.
Ms. Akinyi, who lives in an adjacent building, saw the collapse and said that three people had been rescued from the debris. The collapsed building and the one she lives in had been marked with an “X,” meaning they had been condemned by the National Construction Authority, she said.
After eight buildings collapsed in Kenya in 2015, killing 15 people, President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered an audit of all the country’s buildings. The National Construction Authority found that 58 percent of buildings in Nairobi were unfit for habitation, according to The Associated Press.
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