Survivor Gives Chilling Account Of Nairobi Sewer Collapse That Killed 4 People
The catastrophic event took place at around 1 am at the construction site in Shauri Moyo and other than the four lost lives, several others were injured.
Viral Tea Ke Writer 
Hours after four people were confirmed dead after a wall collapsed on workers who were constructing a sewer line at the Shauri Moyo area in Nairobi, a survivor came out to narrate how he escaped death in the tragedy.
Speaking to the press, the survivor, a man, described the incident which occurred after the ground gave way, recalling himself being engulfed by a torrent of soil, which buried him up to his neck.
The catastrophic event took place at around 1 am at the construction site in Shauri Moyo and other than the four lost lives, several others were injured.
“When I was finally pulled out from the debris, I saw two other individuals who had tragically lost their lives. I was somewhat disoriented and unconscious, so the entire tragedy unfolded very rapidly around me,” he revealed.
The man further noted that he and the other individuals had relied on torches as their only light source, which proved inadequate for the conditions. The poor lighting, combined with the sudden collapse, only intensified the severity of the disaster.
Residents of Shauri Moyo, Nairobi gather around the area where a sewer line collapsed, resulting in the deaths of four people on September 13, 2024. /X
Luckily, a team of rescuers arrived at the scene and quickly evacuated him from the excavation site before rushing him to the hospital.
The survivor however expressed concern that some individuals might still trapped under the rubble, information that is yet to be confirmed as search and rescue operations continue to determine if there are any more victims still buried in the debris.
A boda boda operator recounted one worker being buried under the debris but was later rescued and taken to the hospital. “It was our first day at work and we were excited," he revealed.
However, when they started digging for the sewer line, the ground gave way during the day, covering a young man up to his waist. "We managed to pull him out and I ferried him to the hospital where my supervisor directed me to,” he added.
He noted that as they continued digging, the ground kept collapsing. "People saw the danger, but it wasn’t taken seriously enough, and no effective measures were put in place to prevent further collapses.”
Another survivor shared his experience of the tragic event, which unfolded while he was briefly away from the worksite to buy cigarettes.
“I left the site to get some cigarettes. I started smoking, and after just a couple of puffs, I noticed people running towards the scene. That’s when I realised something serious had happened. Tragically, four of my colleagues died, and three others were injured. I’m not sure if anyone else was inside the hole and got trapped,” he revealed, calling on the authorities to conduct a thorough investigation to determine if there are additional individuals still buried under the rubble.
In response to concerns that people might still be trapped, residents of the Shauri Moyo staged a protest. They blocked roads, which led the police to deploy tear gas to disperse the crowd, with eyewitnesses questioning the circumstances and details surrounding the incident.
National Police Service spokesperson Resila Onyango revealed that so far, three people had been rescued.
“They were excavating a sewerage line when it collapsed. We have lost four while three have been rescued and taken to Mama Lucy Hospital, thanks to a joint operation involving the Nairobi City County Fire Brigade, NMS Ambulance, Kenya Red Cross, and Kenya Police,” Kenya Red Cross said in a statement.
