Nairobi, Kenya: A woman has been found alive after six days in a collapsed building and rescuers are working to free her, a Kenyan government official said Thursday.
Rescuers are creating room to release the woman who is speaking to medics waiting to treat her, said Pius Masai, the head of the National Disaster Management Unit.
“The medical team has administered IV, glucose has been administered. She is talking and in good spirits ... we are taking our time to ensure she is removed safely,” Masai said.
The woman has been given oxygen and she is trapped in small corner of her room, said Abbas Gullet, head of the Kenya Red Cross.
“We are very happy that even after six days someone has been found alive,” Gullet said.
The death toll from the disaster has risen to 36 and 70 people remain missing, according to the Gullet.
A nearly six-month-old baby was rescued on Tuesday, a development which raised hopes that more survivors would be found. The infant was found unharmed in a washbasin four days after the seven-story building collapsed.
With housing in high demand in Nairobi, some unscrupulous developers bypass regulations to cut costs and maximize profits.
After eight buildings collapsed and killed 15 people, President Uhuru Kenyatta last year ordered an audit of all the country’s buildings to see if they are up to code. The National Construction Authority found that 58 percent of buildings in Nairobi are unfit for habitation. Most of Nairobi’s 4 million people live in low-income areas or slums.
