Tragic ; 5 Killed as Wall Collapses in Mombasa
A solemn burial ceremony in Miritini, Jomvu, Mombasa County, turned into a tragedy on Monday, December 2, when five lives were lost after a perimeter wall collapsed amid heavy rainfall. The incident occurred at approximately 2 pm as mourners sought refuge near the wall of a nearby factory.
According to county emergency response officials, the mourners were sheltering from the rain when the aging wall, weakened by recent heavy downpours, gave way. “The wall collapsed in its entirety. One of the deceased was completely crushed from the waist down. Others broke their bones and teeth,” a witness recounted.
The devastating collapse claimed the lives of a baby and three women instantly, while another victim succumbed to injuries later at Makadara Hospital. Several others sustained serious injuries and were rushed to the same facility for urgent medical attention.
Residents of Mombasa have raised alarms about the structural safety of buildings in the area, pointing out that this was the second such incident within weeks. They highlighted that the wall’s incomplete construction on one side left it vulnerable to collapse.
The bodies of the deceased were taken to the Coast General Hospital mortuary, where they await autopsy and preservation.
This incident comes just three weeks after another structural failure in Mombasa’s Majengo area, where a building under construction crumbled, trapping one person under rubble for over an hour. In that case, the Kenya Red Cross confirmed two rescues with no fatalities reported.
With heavy rains persisting along the coast and other parts of the country, as forecasted by the Kenya Meteorological Department, concerns about the safety of infrastructure in rain-prone areas are mounting. Residents are calling for stricter oversight to prevent further tragedies.
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Tragic ; 5 Killed as Wall Collapses in Mombasa
