Man crushed to death by crane in Nairobi's Industrial Area

Crane; factory; Industrial Area; Nairobi

By Jeckonia Otieno

NAIROBI, KENYA: A middle-aged man was crushed to death in a steel manufacturing company in Nairobi’s Industrial Area early Thursday.

Sources say Stephen Nyamai was at work at Accurate Steel Mills when a winch holding a crane fell on him killing him instantly. The deceased, father of three, had only resumed work a day before when the accident occurred.

According to his wife, Gladys Mwikali, he has been on and off at work and had reported back on Wednesday evening working as a casual labourer.

“He has been working irregularly because he is not permanently employed despite having worked here for five years,” lamented the widow at the company gates.

When The Standard arrived at the scene, a huge crowd had gathered at the gate curious to know how the death had occurred.

Denying claims that many workers get injured or even die while on duty, the company’s foreman Nathan Njari said it was just an accident and that the deceased happened to be passing under the crane as it was operating but unfortunately, the winch let loose and hit him thus killing him instantly.

But workers who spoke on condition of anonymity stated that this is not the first of such accidents to happen in the company.