At least 9 people have been killed after a building collapsed as a result of heavy rain and flooding in Nairobi, Kenya.
Nairobi was hit by six hours of heavy rain on Monday, 11 May 2015. Over 100 mm of rain has fallen in the last 24 hours, according to WMO figures.
The building collapsed in Mukuru Fuata Nyayo area of South B, Nairobi, in the early hours of Tuesday, 12 May 2015.
Seven people were thought to have died initially. A few hours after the collapse the Kenya Red Cross reported that 2 more bodies had been discovered at the South B Collapsed building, increasing the toll to 9 people. Several other people were injured. The Red Cross said that search and rescue efforts are still ongoing. The death toll could increase further.
Flooding also caused chaos on the city’s roads during the course of the day. Local media reported that 2 people drowned in flood waters in the city, believed to be in separate incidents to the building collapse at South B.
This is the third flood-related disaster to hit Kenya in the last month, and brings the total number of flood-related deaths to over 60 in less than 30 days.
Over 40 people died when a bus was swept away by flood water in Mandera in mid April. Around 15 people are thought to have died in the flash floods that hit Narok in late April.
