Fear and anxiety gripped residents of Oloolua in Kajiado North after an eight-storey building under construction collapsed on Friday night, trapping several people believed to be workers at the site.
The building is said to have come down at around 11pm after heavy rains pounded the area.
Residents who gathered at the scene on Saturday morning said at least four people were feared trapped under the rubble, although the exact number had not been confirmed by authorities by the time of publication.
Witnesses indicated that there were still some construction workers trapped within the building during the time of its collapse.
Residents and families had to wait most of the day for the arrival of the rescue forces; however, some claimed that the process was too long because authorities took too long to arrive.
“We have waited since yesterday evening. There are still people trapped in the building, but rescue teams are late,” said one resident.
A resident expressed doubts about why local people were not allowed to go into the area while the rescue operation was not even started.
Rescue forces of Kenya Red Cross Society and disaster management were alerted following the building’s collapse.
Pictures at the scene showed huge pieces of metal and concrete spread everywhere around.
No casualty or trapped person figures had been announced by the police and the county administration by Saturday evening.
The incident has highlighted yet another issue concerning the safety of structures under construction in Nairobi and other nearby counties after many such cases were reported within the past few months.
Last month, five persons were killed when a building collapsed at Highrise area in Kibera, Nairobi. Others were wounded during the collapse and taken to hospital.
People of Oloolua are demanding quick rescue missions and investigation about the cause of the collapse.