Several still trapped in rubble after Kampala building collapses

The Police and local council authorities spent Friday night trying to rescue several people who were trapped under the rubble after a storey building collapsed in Makindye division.

New Vision was at the scene shortly after the building collapsed at about 9pm in Kafampa zone behind Calendar Rest House.

By midnight, rescue efforts by the local people had paid off after one person was successfully dug out of the rubble.

According to those who took part in the rescue mission, several others were still trapped under the debris.

The victims were allegedly construction workers on a night shift.

At about midnight, Makindye division mayor Ali Mulyanyama brought in an excavator to try and ease the work.

Mulyanyama told New Vision by 3am, he was still making calls to get more equipment to join the rescue mission without much success.

"We shall continue trying our level best to ensure that those who are down there are rescued," he said.

By Saturday morning, rescue efforts were still ongoing.

The cause of the collapse is not yet known but a Police officer at the scene who spoke on condition of anonymity said engineers might have used substandard raw materials.