At least seven students have been killed and scores wounded after a classroom collapsed in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, according to emergency services.
The incident at the two-storey Precious Talent Top School took place a few minutes after 7am local time on Monday (04:00 GMT).
“So far, we can confirm seven students have died and 57 injured,” Peter Abwao, public relations and communications manager at Kenya Red Cross, told Al Jazeera.
Red Cross Kenya said rescue efforts were ongoing amid reports that dozens were trapped in the remains of the collapsed building.
“There were students in the upper classes of the building when it collapsed,” Abwao said. “We are still searching to make sure all students have been rescued.”
Abwao said that according to its officials, the school has some 800 pupils aged below 14. Government spokesman Cyrus Oguna confirmed the death toll saying authorities are now making sure the injured get medical treatment.
Kenya’s schools have suffered several tragedies in recent years, such as a mysterious series of arson attacks [Dai Kurokawa/EPA]
Many of the parents were in shock and struggling to come to terms with the tragedy.
“I had just dropped my son to school, and heard screams on my way back, and that is when I found people assisting them out to hospital,” Margaret Muthoni, whose four-year-old son was injured, told AFP news agency.
“I am just lucky my son survived with injuries. It is a very unfortunate incident because some children have died,” Muthoni added.
Kepha Otieno said he lost his five-year-old daughter to the tragedy.
“I just can’t believe. It is too hard for me and the family,” he said.
Evanson Kamuri, chief executive of the Kenyatta National Hospital where most of the injured students are been treated, said two of the injured children were in critical condition, while others had soft tissue injuries or light wounds and were being examined.
Local area MP John Kiarie said the area had no public land on which to construct a proper public school[Njeri Mwangi [Reuters]
Videos from the scene of the tragedy showed parents and relatives wailing uncontrollable as officials tried to comfort them.
Al Jazeera’s Catherine Wambua-Soi, reporting from the school, said rescue operation has been completed.
“The area has been cleared. Debris has been put to one side and school books on the other. Unimaginable pain on the faces of the parents who have gathered here. It is a scene of absolute horror,” Wambua-Soi said.
“The educator minister said the government has started investigation into what has happened. The minister said he does not want to speculate but said it does not appear like the second storey of the building was approved by authorities. Many people here are also questioning the quality of materials used to construct the school.” Wambua-Soi added.
Local lawmaker John Kiarie told KTN television that it appeared the first floor had collapsed on children on the ground floor – however details were sketchy.
The school was a private institution. Kiarie said the area had no public land on which to construct a proper public school.
He said the disaster highlighted the lack of “regulation of educational institutions, especially those in informal settlements… regulations that pertain to the construction and stability of educational institutions.”
Moses Nyakiongora, an official with the National Building Inspectorate said at the scene: “This school was not properly constructed. It is totally substandard.”
Kenya’s schools have suffered several tragedies in recent years, such as a mysterious series of arson attacks targeting boarding schools that often go unsolved.
In 2017 nine teenage girls were killed in such an attack.
SOURCE:
Al Jazeera and news agencies
