KAMPALA, UGANDA: Several people are feared dead following the collapse of a storeyed building under construction in the city suburbs of Kisenyi Mengo. The incident happed in Kisenyi I Cell near Qualicel Bus Terminal in Kampala.
The building belonging to city tycoon Haruna Ssentongo caved in during the afternoon downpour.
According to witnesses, several people including builders, drivers, food vendors and bystanders are all trapped inside the building. Several people rushed with all kinds of tools including axes, hoes and hammers to try and rescue the victims trapped under the rubble.
The police fire and rescue teams have also joined the search for the victims. Police and the army are maintaining security at the site of the collapsed building as rescue efforts are ongoing.
“We have deployed our emergency rescue services team and 2 ambulances to support the emergency rescue going on at Kisenyi, near the Bus terminal where a building under construction just caved in,” Uganda Red Cross tweeted on Sunday after the incident happening.
Salim Uhuru, the Kampala central Mayor, one of the first responders at the site, says that more than 50 people could be trapped under the rubble. According to Uhuru, the affected building belongs to the proprietor of Haruna Towers.
He suspects that the building could have caved in due to poor materials used resulting from poor supervision by KCCA. “Buildings in Kampala are collapsing due to weak construction materials, poor supervision, and planning by engineers. Our people are dying over this,” said Uhuru.
By press time, police and the locals were still digging up the rubble.
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