Baby girl rescued from Huruma debris after four days as building owner is charged with manslaughter
Dozens of others are still thought to be buried under the rubble, but hopes of finding more alive are fading
A six-month-old girl has been rescued from the debris of a building that collapsed four days ago in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi.
Later the Kenyan Red Cross said the baby, Dealeryn Saisi Wasike, was reunited with her father. She has no physical injuries.
The six-storey residence came down in heavy rain, killing at least 23 people.
Dozens of others are still thought to be buried under the rubble, but hopes of finding more alive are fading.
The building had been earmarked for demolition. Its owner was due to appear in court on Tuesday charged with manslaughter.
Samuel Karanja Kamau was arrested on Monday. Officials say he did not have permission to rent out the building’s 119 rooms.
Mr Kamau has not yet commented on the allegation.
Dozens of people are still feared trapped under the rubble
About 135 people have been freed so far from the collapsed building, local media report. Another 93 have been reported missing.
The Kenya Red Cross said the baby girl was found in the rubble at 04:00 local time, in a bucket wrapped in a blanket.
Dealeryn appeared dehydrated, but had no visible injuries, it added. She was rushed to hospital for treatment.
She was originally reported to have been one-and-a-half years old.
Several hours later, the Red Cross tweeted that it had located the baby’s father, Ralson Saisi Wasike, through its tracing services.
He was reunited with Dealeryn, whom he positively identified.
The BBC’s Emmanuel Igunza in Nairobi says the child’s rescue is a badly needed miracle as recovery efforts enter their fourth day.
More bodies were retrieved overnight.
Mr Wasike, speaking at a shelter where he has been living since the building collapsed, said his daughter had been strong but he had feared for the worst when he was unable to find her.
He had visited hospitals and mortuaries to look for his child, and was overjoyed when he heard she had been rescued.
But Mr Wasike said he had still not found his wife.
Source: bbc.com
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