Death toll from collapsed building in Kisii rises to 5

The death toll from the three-storey building that collapsed on Sunday April 6, 2025 in the morning in Suneka, Kisii County rose to five after one more person succumbed.

This was after the building, which was still under construction, collapsed, trapping an unknown number of people.

The victims included construction workers and nearby residents.

Four victims of the tragedy, who were rescued alive were admitted to nearby hospitals in Kisii, police said.

Three bodies were retrieved from the rubbles of the collapsed building while two of the survivors died shortly after being rescued alive.

Officials said an unknown number of people have been trapped after the building under construction collapsed on Sunday morning in the Itierio area.

Police and the Kisii County emergency rescue teams camped at the site to conduct search and rescue operations.

The building had collapsed on neighbours’ houses and other business premises next to Itierio primary school in Suneka.

Meanwhile, the rescue teams are attempting to rescue one of the victims, who is still speaking to them from the rubbles.

“Kisii County emergency rescue teams have arrived at the disaster scene in Itierio, Suneka, where scores are feared trapped following the collapse of a storey building. Businesses around the area have been affected,” the report stated.

The county government of Kisii is expected to issue a statement later to provide details about the incident.

An emergency response team led by the Kenya Red Cross Society was at the scene conducting rescue and retrieval operations.