Six evacuated after building under construction collapses near Karen Community Church

There was panic after a one-storey building under construction collapsed on Saturday Ngong Road opposite Karen Community Church in Nairobi.

Emergency service providers said they evacuated six people with minor injuries after the building under construction collapsed.

The Kenya Red Cross confirmed six people had been rescued, while search efforts continued for others suspected to be trapped in the rubble.

It is not clear how many workers were at the site when the building collapsed at about 4 pm.

It is also not clear what caused the collapse of the building that had reached first floor.

Emergency service providers rushed to the scene as a crowd gathered there after getting the news of the incident.

Officials said they were handling the situation and the injured had been rushed to the hospital.

It comes a weeks after a 16 storey building collapsed and killed two guards on duty at South C in Nairobi. There have been calls for action on officials responsible for the approval of the construction of the building.

Police are among those investigating the saga and have so far recorded statements from the developer and other parties involved. The team has also summoned at least ten officials at the county government for statements.

Police plan to press charges on those found culpable for the collapse.

There is also a push for audit on many structures under construction. This is after major professional bodies in the sector claimed graft had compromised the integrity of the structures.