This archive report was first published on 8 December 2019.
Published on December 8, 2019, a building collapse in Tassia, Embakasi East in Nairobi has left a trail of destruction and despair. The incident occurred on Friday morning, with the Kenya Defence Forces under their Disaster Response Unit and a team of engineers working tirelessly to rescue those trapped.
Among the missing are a group of children who had gone to play video games at a cyber café within the building. Venny Gechemba's two children, Frank Kerosi and Ezra, both under 10 years, are among those suspected to be in the cyber café. Their mother described the wait as 'hell on earth', clutching her hair and openly wailing as counselors struggled to hold her.
'I cannot eat. I cannot sleep. I just want my babies,' she said amid sobs. The family's ordeal is a testament to the devastating impact of the collapse, which has left families in a state of panic and despair.
Rescue efforts have been ongoing for over 36 hours, with the Kenya Defence Forces working to create space for an officer to assess the situation. The team has been divided into groups, with a team using trained sniffer dogs looking for signs of life and another using a portable trapped person locator machine.
As the night drew closer, the officers slowed down the rescue operation due to the risk of rain, which could cause the rubble to be loose and make it difficult to tread with extreme care. The lack of sufficient equipment has also been a hindrance, with the team only using one crane.
Despite the challenges, the rescue efforts have been ongoing, with four people rescued yesterday. According to James Wanyoike, Assistant County Commissioner Embakassi East Sub-county, the team involving the St John ambulance, Kenya Red Cross, the County Fire Department among other stakeholders have played a crucial role in the rescue efforts.
As of yesterday evening, 33 people had been rescued from the debris, with 18 people rushed to Mama Lucy Hospital and 16 discharged. Fourteen others were rushed to Kenyatta National Hospital, with seven treated and discharged while six are still admitted there.
