55-year-old woman rescued from collapsed pit latrine in Naka

A 55-year-old woman has been rescued after being trapped for nearly five hours in a latrine that caved in at her employer’s home in Nakuru’s Naka A Estate.

Speaking in a phone interview, area Snr. Chief Stephen Macharia says the incident happened at about 6:30 a.m. on Thursday, when the pit latrine cum bathroom collapsed, as the house help, identified only as Lilian, stepped into the shower.

“The structure, which was about 13 to 14 feet deep, suddenly gave way, trapping her beneath soil and debris,” Macharia says, adding that a rescue team comprising residents, police officers, and a multi-agency unit has worked together to free her.

He says she was pulled out at around 11:35 a.m. and was immediately rushed to the Nakuru Teaching and Referral Hospital for treatment.

“She is stable now. She can communicate, though she has pains and several lacerations on the body caused by stones and debris,” Macharia says.

When questioned about what may have led to the giving in of the building, he said the collapse was likely caused by the age of the structure and the effects of recent rainfall.

He says the ground may have become unstable, taking into account the instability of the soil structure of the county, which may have contributed to the latrine caving in.

Macharia notes that the swift response was made possible through the Nyumba Kumi system, which relayed the information quickly through local elders.

“I got the information early in the morning and contacted the police officers so that we could rush to the scene and protect the victim,” he says.

He adds that Lilian has been working at the residential home for the past 10 years.