One dead, four injured in sewer collapse

One person died while four others are receiving treatment at the Kerugoya Level Four Hospital after they were buried alive when soil caved in a sewer project they were working on at Kiandieri area, Kirinyaga County.

The five were among casual labourers working on the Kerugoya-Kutus sewer system when the accident happened at 1:00 pm.

Three managed to escape the trench when they noticed the soil coming down. The trench they were working on was narrow slowing down rescue operations that took three hours.

Residents shovel through the soil to rescue workers from a caved-in sewer. [File, Standard]

According to Kirinyaga Central Deputy County Commissioner Daniel Ndege, the piping was being done by eight people and that is why the reports indicated eight had been buried alive.

"We have lost one person who was working on the Kerugoya-Kutus sewer system project, four have been taken to Kerugoya Level Four Hopsital where they are receiving treatment," said Ndege.