The building which was under construction in Kisenyi zone, Muzaana parish in Lubaga division collapsed on Sunday after a heavy downpour covering vehicles, motorcycles and workers who were inside.
According to Luke Owoyesigyire, the Kampala Metropolitan deputy police spokesperson, the Police Fire brigade department and Red Cross rushed to the scene following the accident and efforts to rescue victims started off immediately.
“Six people have been confirmed dead after the collapse of the four storied building this afternoon. Among those confirmed dead are five male and one female,”Owoyesigyire said on Sunday evening.
The fire and rescue services rescued two children who are currently receiving treatment at Mulago National Referral Hospital.
According to preliminary reports compiled by the experts from the Uganda Institution of Professional Engineers, the National Building Review Board, Uganda Society of Architects and Kampala City Council, preliminary investigations point to failure of the temporary supports to the slab under construction.
“After the failure of these supports, the slab at that level fell on the level below, thereby overwhelming the supports on that slab as well,” a source in the team says.
The source adds that this ripple effect continued to the subsequent floors until the entire building collapsed.
Eye witnesses this website spoke to say the speed at which the building was being built was worrying. The witnesses reveal that within 30 days, the site had achieved the fourth floor, something unimaginable in the engineering industry.
It is feared the owners never carried out an environmental impact assessment and that is why the foundation was started off at upper surface leaving a lot of water underneath with no proper drainage.