A construction worker in Mombasa died on the spot on Tuesday after a lift he was installing in an 18-storey building tumbled while he was inside.
Speaking after presiding over retrieving the deceased's body, the Mombasa County Executive Committee Member in charge of Transport and Infrastructure noted investigations had been launched to find out what transpired and ascertain the building's safety.
While narrating the incident, the CEC stated that the lift fell from the fourth floor where two men were attempting to install it.
As a result, one died on the spot while another escaped with minor injuries.
The county officials also raised concerns over non-compliance by the construction workers to put on safety gear to protect them from such incidents.
“One thing that has come out from what we have seen is the victim has been brought out of the lift without any safety gadget," the CEC noted.
“We will make sure that a thorough investigation is done, and if there are people who are culpable they should be brought to book,” he added.
Human rights activists who also weighed on the matter called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the officers who approved construction at the site to go on.
"Losing a Kenyan in such a situation, maybe he has children. The owner of the building must be held responsible," noted a human rights activist.
The activists further vowed to follow up on the matter and ensure the deceased's family gets justice.
Meanwhile, the deceased's body was retrieved and ferried to the Coast General Hospital mortuary awaiting a postmortem.
In a similar situation on February 19, two people reportedly lost their lives after a crane collapsed on them in the Makutano area of Meru.
In its statement, The Kenya Red Cross confirmed the incident noting that it had sent a response team to the scene to attend to the affected individuals.
"Crane collapse reported in Makutano, Meru County. Response teams are en route to the scene. Updates to follow," Kenya Red Cross noted at the time.
