One person died while undergoing treatment in Machakos Level Five Hospital on Tuesday evening following injuries he sustained after a building collapsed on several people in Machakos town.
The Machakos Sub County Police Commander (SCPC). Moss Ndiwa said the dead person was among four others who were rescued and ferried to hospital by the hospital ambulances from the debris of the disused commercial building that came tumbling down at the ever busy Grogan area of the town.
The other four, three women and a male were admitted at the health facility with various degrees of injuries.
By the time of filing this story they were said to be responding well to treatment, though in critical condition.
Ndiwa said the dead and the injured were walking along a footpath besides the building named Jumbo when the afternoon incident occurred.
Quick action by ambulances from the nearby Machakos Level 5 hospital saved the injured from imminent death as they arrived in minutes and rushed them to the hospital for attention.
There were also fears that a child may have been buried in the debris as one of the injured claimed to have been accompanied by her child whose whereabouts could not be immediately established.
However, the Sub County Police Commander could not confirm or deny this.
According to Allan Musembi, a resident of the town the building started to show signs of imminent collapse a fortnight ago but no action was taken to bring it down safely or warn passers-by.
He blamed the County government of not taking any action even after it had been notified.
Eyewitnesses at the scene said two of the injured were jua kali traders who hawk merchandise along the narrow corridor between the collapsed wall and another shop.
By Justus Keesi/Stephen Kimanthi/Sylvester Mutinda
