Africa

Kenya police: 6-story residential building collapses in rain

Associated Press
Published | Updated

This frame grab from a video provided by KTN News shows aftermath of a building collapse in Nairobi, Kenya, Friday, April 29, 2016. The six-story residential building in a low income area of the Kenyan capital collapsed Friday under heavy rain and flooding, trapping an unknown number of people in the rubble, Kenyan officials said. A search-and-rescue team managed to pull three children and an adult out from the remains of the building in the Huruma area, the Kenya Red Cross said. It was not immediately clear whether there were fatalities. (KTN News via AP) (The Associated Press)

Kenya Red Cross personnel and Kenyan police officers work at the site of a building collapse in Nairobi, Kenya, Saturday,April 30, 2016. A six-story residential building in a low income area of the Kenyan capital collapsed Friday under heavy rain and flooding, trapping an unknown number of people in the rubble, Kenyan officials said.(AP Photo/Sayyid Abdul Azim) (The Associated Press)

Kenya Red Cross personnel work at the site of a building collapse in Nairobi, Kenya, Saturday, April 30, 2016. A six-story residential building in a low income area of the Kenyan capital collapsed Friday under heavy rain and flooding, trapping an unknown number of people in the rubble, Kenyan officials said.(AP Photo/Sayyid Abdul Azim) (The Associated Press)

Kenyan officials say a six-story residential building in a low income area of the capital has collapsed under heavy rain and flooding.

They said it isn't immediately clear whether there are injuries or fatalities. Kenya Red Cross says they have sent a search-and-rescue team to the Huruma area.

Japheth Koome, Nairobi's police chief, said hours-long traffic jams caused by flooded roads Thursday have prevented rescue teams from reaching the scene. Kenya is in the midst of its April-May rainy season.

Because of a high demand for housing in Nairobi, some property developers bypass building regulations to cut costs and maximize profits. The Architectural Society of Kenya has estimated that 50 percent of structures in Nairobi are not up to code.