At Least one die for Building collapse in Kenya

Red Cross officials said 15 severely ill people had been pulled from the rubble and taken to hospital. At least one person has died after a multi-story building collapsed on the outskirts of Kenya's capital, Nairobi. Dozens of people are feared trapped in the ruins of the building in Kiambu town, which was under construction. There have been suggestions that heavy rain in the area recently could have weakened the five-storey structure. It is not clear what caused the collapse, but correspondents say Kenyan building companies are often criticized for flouting safety regulations. Up to 50 workers were believed to have been on site at the time of the collapse. The rescue operation continued late into the night, as officials said an unknown number of people could still be inside the building. Some of those trapped have made mobile phone calls to alert relatives. One eyewitness reported hearing a loud bang when the building cracked before it collapsed. The BBC's Will Ross in Nairobi says the incident was not the first of its kind in recent years. Following the collapse of other buildings in recent years, there were calls for stricter building regulations to be enforced, says our correspondent. But Nairobi is currently experiencing a construction boom, and companies are often criticized for cutting corners and failing to enforce strict safety measures as profitable high rises spring up over the city, he adds.
A reporter for the Associated Press news agency said he saw a woman's body in the wreckage, while one rescued man told AP several people had been in the room with him when the building fell.