A tragic construction accident at Chinche Primary School in Borabu Constituency, Nyamira County, has left four people dead after a pit latrine under construction collapsed on the evening of Friday, July 24.The victims were part of a team hired to build a toilet under a National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) project.
According to witnesses, two workers were inside the pit when its walls suddenly gave way, trapping them beneath the soil.Three other people reportedly rushed into the collapsed pit in an attempt to rescue the trapped workers.
However, the unstable ground caved in again, burying the rescuers as well.Photos shared online showed large crowds gathering at the school as police officers, emergency responders and local residents worked together in a desperate effort to rescue those trapped under the debris.
During the rescue operation, an excavator was brought in to help remove the soil covering the victims.
Some residents claimed that the machine accidentally struck some of those trapped, leading to their deaths.
However, these allegations had not been confirmed by the authorities at the time of reporting.
After several hours of rescue efforts, one person was pulled from the collapsed pit alive but with critical injuries. The survivor was rushed to hospital for emergency treatment.
The tragedy has shocked residents of Kiabonyoru Ward, many of whom blamed the incident on poor planning and failure to address concerns about the condition of the construction site.
Locals said there had been warnings that the soil was too loose to safely support a deep pit latrine without proper engineering measures.
Residents also questioned why the project allegedly proceeded without the involvement of a qualified contractor capable of handling such a risky excavation safely.
The incident has raised fresh concerns about adherence to safety standards in public construction projects, especially those involving deep excavations within school compounds.
Questions are now being asked about whether all the required safety measures were followed before work began.
Police and county officials have launched investigations to establish the exact cause of the collapse, determine whether safety regulations were observed, and examine the circumstances surrounding both the accident and the rescue operation.
The findings are expected to guide any further action over the tragic incident.
