The Mombasa County disaster response team has concluded its recovery works at the ill-fated septic tank that caved in at Bamburi Mwisho in Mombasa on Sunday.
The body of 54-year-old Abdiaziz Abdallah was retrieved from the 120-feet septic tank at 12.39am yesterday, according to the county chief fire officer and head of the disaster, Ibrahim Basafar.
“After recovery, we washed the body and called the family to identify it. They positively identified their relative,” Basafar told the Star on the phone yesterday morning.
Abdallah lived next to the video café whose floor caved in since it was built on top of the septic tank.
“We handed over the body to the police,” Basafar said. Abdallah’s body was found 60 feet below the surface.
“We dug another 20 feet from where we found the body, taking about one hour, 30 minutes. We dug until we reached dry soil, and that is when we concluded there was no other body," Basafar said.
“It is not possible for two bodies to fall at the same time, same place and one body is found and another is not found even after digging 20 feet deeper.”
The chief fire officer said they have concluded the recovery operation and have handed over the scene to the county department of infrastructure and public works to manage the site.
The infrastructure and public works department is expected to block the septic tank and restore the area to normalcy.
The county had to demolish a bar that had been operating in the area for more than 30 years to gain access to the septic tank for the recovery operation.
Basafar said access to the septic tank was the biggest challenge they encountered during the recovery operation, forcing them to demolish private property.
He said adherence to the law is critical to prevent such disasters or ease rescue operations.
“When building, we must observe the law and the land law stipulates that one must allow at least eight feet for easy access. That is in the Land Use and Physical Planning Act,” Basafar said.
“Even the Land Titles Act states that you cannot build on 100 per cent of your property. But no one follows that law. If you don’t follow that Act, such are the dangers and it is them that get trouble, not us as the rescue workers.”
He said the disaster team does not like recovery work because that means people are already dead.
“We like rescue work where we try to save lives. But if through our own deeds we end up making rescue operations almost impossible, then it is a sad situation. We don’t like recovery work,” Basafar said.
“Why build on a septic tank? Because it is somewhere not easily seen? Seek permit for any construction please,” he urged Mombasa residents.
The disaster is another headache for Governor Abdulswamad Nassir, coming barely two weeks after the forced demolition of a building that had been constructed irregularly and which had started tilting dangerously towards one side.
Nassir said preliminary assessments have established the video café, “operating under the Happy Annex Bar, was an unauthorised structure, operating without a valid trading permit, and was constructed atop a septic tank, approximately 120 feet deep”.
“This unfortunate incident serves as a stark and urgent reminder of the critical importance of ensuring all developments are regularised through the county department of planning. We cannot compromise on safety, public order, or the rule of law when it comes to construction and business operations in our county,” the governor said.
He appealed to members of the public to cooperate with county authorities in matters of planning approvals, inspections and business compliance.
