Kenya: Baby rescued from collapsed building out of danger

NAIROBI, Kenya – A baby who survived for nearly four days under the debris of a collapsed building is out of danger, a Kenyan hospital official said Wednesday.

Authorities have confirmed 23 people died and 80 others are missing since the building collapsed Friday. Rescue operations continue.

The nearly six-month-old Dealeryn Saisi Wasike has been rehydrated, given adequate supplements and is now in a stable condition, Simon Ithai, a spokesman for the Kenyatta National Hospital said.

The National Disaster Management centre which is co-ordinating the rescue mission said the child was found unharmed in a washbasin after the seven-story building collapsed.

A court granted the two owners of the building bail of $5,000 Wednesday.

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 per cent of buildings in Nairobi are unfit for habitation. Most of Nairobi’s 4 million people live in low-income areas or slums.