Death Toll in Kenya Building Collapse Climbs to 49

Rescue efforts are nearing the end in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi as the death toll in the building collapse reached 49 people, the National Disaster Management Unit (NDMU) said as quoted by local media.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The previous toll at the April 29 collapse of a six-story building in Huruma Estate in northeastern Nairobi stood at 43 dead.

"It has been a delicate operation and the community helped to save the 140 alive from the scene. The number of the dead may increase. So far 18 people are hospitalized at the KNH (Kenyatta National Hospital)," NDMU deputy director Pius Masai said as quoted by Kenya’s the Daily Nation newspaper.

Masai added that the rescue operation may finish by Sunday as 50 people remain unaccounted for.

Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero gave residents of nearby buildings condemned by the National Construction Authority (NCA) a week to find alternative housing before demolition.

The NCA found that the buildings, estimated to house 600 residents, have been either built on unsafe grounds or did not adhere to building standards.