One Dead, Several Injured After Six-Storey Building Collapses in Kisumu Amid Heavy Rains
A tragic scene unfolded in Kisumu on Monday evening after a six-storey building under construction suddenly collapsed at Tom Mboya Estate, leaving one person dead and several others injured as rescue teams raced against time to search for survivors trapped beneath the rubble.
The structure, located near Obunga Police Station, reportedly came crashing down following hours of heavy rainfall that pounded the lakeside city, sparking panic among residents and raising fresh questions over the safety of buildings under construction across Kenya.
Witnesses at the scene said the deceased was believed to be a caretaker working at the site at the time of the collapse. Several injured victims were rescued from the debris and rushed to nearby hospitals as emergency personnel intensified rescue efforts late into the night.
Residents described scenes of chaos and desperation moments after the building caved in, with terrified locals screaming for help as clouds of dust engulfed the area.
“We just heard a loud bang and the whole building came down within seconds,” one eyewitness said. “People started running in all directions because no one knew how many people were trapped inside.”
Emergency response teams, including firefighters, county disaster management officials, police officers, and medical personnel, were swiftly deployed to the scene. Rescue workers combed through the rubble using both machinery and manual efforts as anxious residents gathered nearby hoping for signs of survivors.
Authorities later sealed off the area to allow rescue operations to continue uninterrupted and to prevent further injuries amid fears that sections of the debris could still collapse.
Although the exact cause of the tragedy has not yet been officially established, preliminary reports indicate that the building may have weakened following prolonged heavy rains experienced across Kisumu on Monday evening.
The incident has once again reignited concerns over the enforcement of construction standards and safety regulations in Kenya’s rapidly expanding urban centres, including Nairobi, Kisumu, Mombasa, and Nakuru, where cases of collapsing buildings have become increasingly common.
Investigations have now been launched to determine whether the structure had received the necessary approvals, inspections, and compliance certifications before construction began.
The Kisumu collapse comes barely days after another building disaster was reported in Oloolua, Kajiado North Subcounty, where an eight-storey building under construction collapsed on Friday night following heavy rains.
At least four people were injured in that incident, which occurred at around 11pm on May 8, according to witnesses who claimed several workers had been inside the building when it came down.
Residents in Kajiado further alleged that rescue teams delayed arriving at the scene, forcing locals to begin rescue efforts on their own as fears mounted that victims remained trapped beneath the rubble.
The back-to-back incidents are likely to intensify scrutiny on county governments, engineers, and developers over alleged negligence and weak enforcement of construction laws, particularly during the ongoing rainy season.
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