South C building collapse: Four trapped as CS Ruku reveals illegal construction

Rescue operations at the collapsed building in South C have been temporarily suspended following fears that an adjacent structure might also come down.

Public Service, Human Capital Development and Special Programmes Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku has confirmed that four people are trapped inside the rubble of the collapsed building.

The four include two watchmen and two passers-by who were in the vicinity when the structure came down.

Authorities have established a multi-agency team comprising nine different sectors to coordinate the rescue mission at the site.

However, operations have been halted as structural engineers assess whether the neighbouring building poses an imminent danger to rescue workers and residents.

Families of those trapped have already gathered at the scene, anxiously waiting for news about their loved ones.

In a positive development, one taxi driver who was caught up in the incident is receiving treatment at the Mbagathi hospital. His condition has not been disclosed, but authorities confirmed that he was successfully evacuated from the scene.

CS Ruku revealed damaging details about the collapsed building that point to serious regulatory violations.

He told the press that the collapsed structure was owned by two individuals and had only been approved for construction up to 12 floors.

However, authorities discovered that four additional floors were illegally added, bringing the total to 16 floors in clear violation of building regulations.

The CS stressed that investigations have already commenced to establish who violated building regulations and standards.

He warned that those involved in the illegal construction would face the full force of the law. The unauthorized additional floors are believed to have compromised the structural integrity of the building, potentially contributing to the collapse.