Several Kenyans narrowly escaped harm on Thursday morning after a three-storey building which was under construction collapsed in Iten, Elgeyo Marakwet County.
According to witnesses, the building being constructed by the Elgeyo Marakwet County Government partially caved in after it reportedly developed weakness in its foundations.
Following the incident, a rescue team was immediately dispatched to the scene to help retrieve those trapped under the rubble. After concerted efforts, all the builders were safely evacuated.
While expressing their outrage, the residents attributed the collapse to poor workmanship citing poor materials used by the contractor. The locals claimed they had foreseen such a situation and communicated their reservations to the County Government but no safety precaution was taken.
The residents further added that the market in question which is located within Iten Town ought to have been regularly inspected by the county officials before progressing with the construction.
"We want to tell the County Government that you have failed us, you could have killed more than 1,000 women if the building could have collapsed after completion. And we blame the County Government and the contractor for this," lamented a resident.
"The contractor even never considered including the locals in the construction of the market, he hired people from Nairobi and other places to do the job," added the local.
Images of the incident that have since circulated online showed the building partly damaged while the rest of the structure remained intact while supported by wooden pillars.
Similarly, a team of officials from the Kenya Red Cross were seen arriving to the scene in ambulances to administer first aid to anyone injured in the morning incident.
The latest tragic occurrence comes barely five days after another residential-storey building collapsed in Kahawa West, Nairobi County. While confirming the incident, the Kenya Red Cross noted that an unknown number of individuals had been trapped under the rubble.
Videos obtained by Kenyans.co.ke depicted the building collapsing in a split second with locals including children scampering for safety before a cloud of dust engulfed the scene.
Reports indicate that the locals had been cautioned against renting units by the Nairobi County Planning Department. The structure has since been earmarked for demolition.
