Nairobi: Seven children were killed and 64 injured when a classroom collapsed as students were starting their morning lessons at a school in Kenya’s capital Nairobi on Monday, officials said.
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Television stations showed images of rescue workers sifting through metal sheeting and slabs of concrete at the Precious Talent school, and carrying white body bags to an ambulance.
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“We have regrettably lost seven lives to this morning’s incident that occurred around 8 a.m., as the learners of Class Five to Eight were starting their morning lessons,” Education Cabinet Secretary George Magoha said at the scene of the accident.
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In Kenya’s school system, classes five to eight usually covers children aged from 10 to 14 years.
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He added that 64 children had been taken to hospital for treatment, with two of them having serious injuries.
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The first floor of the building collapsed, trapping the children below, local lawmaker John Kiarie told NTV Kenya earlier.
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Magoha said more than 600 children from the school underwent check-ups at a nearby health centre, and also ordered the school closed for four days for safety checks.
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The cause was not immediately known, but authorities have previously warned 30,000 to 40,000 buildings erected without approval in Nairobi are at risk of collapse.
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Three years, ago a six-storey residential block collapsed in Nairobi, killing 51 people following heavy rain.
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The Morning and Evening Brief###
The Morning and Evening Brief