Two killed in second deadly Kenya building collapse in three days

Kenyan police attend the scene of a building collapse in Ruaka, on the outskirts of the capital Nairobi, Kenya Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022. The collapse of the building under construction is the second such collapse in a matter of days in Nairobi, where housing is in high demand and unscrupulous developers often bypass regulations. (AP Photo)

A multi-storey building under construction on the outskirts of Kenya’s capital has collapsed on a neighbouring home, killing two people, authorities said.

Three other people have been rescued alive from the family home in the Ruaka suburb of Nairobi.

The early morning collapse is the second such incident this week as construction authorities warn over unpermitted buildings being built in the city and its outskirts.

On Tuesday, a multi-storey building collapsed in the Kasarani neighbourhood and construction workers were trapped inside.

The scene of a building collapse in the Kasarani neighbourhood of Nairobi (Ben Curtis/AP)

Three people were confirmed dead from that incident, and the owner of the building, who is to be arrested and charged, has been on the run.

Building collapses are common in Nairobi, where housing is in high demand and developers often bypass regulations.

After eight buildings collapsed and killed 15 people in Kenya in 2015, the presidency ordered an audit of all the country’s buildings to see if they were up to code.

The National Construction Authority found that 58% of buildings in Nairobi were unfit for habitation.