In Bondo, Siaya County, a tragic incident has left a family grieving the loss of their toddler as their dwelling collapsed on Thursday night.
The victim, two-year-old Paul Scoll Omondi, was asleep alongside his mother and siblings when disaster struck around midnight.
Lilian Aoko, 35, the mother, and three other siblings sustained severe injuries while escaping the collapsing structure. Siaya County Police Commander Cleti Kimaiyo verified the occurrence, citing the collapse of the waterlogged mud walls of their semi-permanent rented home as the cause.
Mr. Kimaiyo reported that police responded swiftly to the alert raised by a nearby boda boda rider and found the rented dwelling, comprising three single rooms, inundated with water due to relentless heavy rainfall. Consequently, the weakened walls gave way, leading to the tragic demise of the toddler and injuries to other family members.
Law enforcement officers promptly rescued the surviving family members and rushed them to Bondo Sub County Hospital. The deceased’s body was later transferred to the hospital morgue for further examination.
Meanwhile, efforts to locate a sand harvester who drowned in Ligega area, Ugenya Sub County, have entered the third day. Evans Otieno Odhiambo was swept away by swift currents while engaged in sand harvesting along a river bank, according to area Assistant Chief Sylvester Ouma. Despite attempts by his colleagues to rescue him, the rising waters thwarted their efforts.
In another distressing incident, a building collapse in Kanduyi market, Bungoma County, claimed two lives, with others feared trapped beneath the rubble. Last week, the Bungoma County government partially demolished the structure to facilitate the expansion and refurbishment of the Masinde Muliro Stadium, slated to host Madaraka Day celebrations on June 1.
Tragically, individuals unaware of the looming danger ventured to the site to scavenge scrap metal and other items for commercial purposes, ignoring warnings issued by authorities. Witnesses, including Mr. Emmanuel Sikuku, noted the weakened state of the building and the government’s cautionary advisories that were disregarded by the victims.
The situation escalated to the extent that law enforcement had to employ tear gas to disperse crowds gathering around the site. Rescue operations, amid heightened security, continued as emergency services grappled with the unfolding crisis, causing disruptions to traffic on the Eldoret-Malaba highway, a major thoroughfare often congested with long-distance lorries.
