Nairobi slum wall collapse, death toll rises

The death toll from a wall collapse in a Nairobi slum rose to 14 after emergency workers dug through rubble.

Photo: Nairobi slum wall collapse, death toll rises

The wall fell Friday evening, apparently after heavy rain loosened the foundation, tipping rubble onto a maze of makeshift homes in the Mukuru slum, said Julius Muthuri, police chief for the area.

"Most of the wall collapsed on the houses, crushing the residents," he said. The wall was 8 feet (2.5 meters) tall and 230 feet (70 meters) wide.

The wall was serving as a barrier fence in the slum, where homes are constructed of wood and corrugated iron sheeting.

An Associated Press reporter saw 10 corpses Friday night seven adults and three infants laid out on sheets near the site of the collapse.

"The city engineer needs to know we are living in a dangerous place," Mukuru resident Albert Omundi said. "We blame them, they need to take care of us."