NAIROBI, Kenya — Rescuers found four survivors Thursday in the rubble of an apartment building that collapsed six days ago amid heavy rains in the Kenyan capital, raising hopes that more people might still be alive in a disaster that has left dozens dead and missing.
The first to be rescued was a pregnant woman, although her husband said that amid the joy of finding her alive, doctors also reported that their baby had not survived. In addition, one of those found alive later died en route to the hospital, officials said.
Pius Masai, the head of the Disaster Management Unit, said the person died because the ambulance did not have advanced life-saving equipment.
Soldiers, firefighters and volunteers have been working around the clock since the April 29 collapse of the seven-story building in a desperate search effort, and their spirits were lifted Tuesday when a nearly 6-month-old girl — dehydrated but relatively unscathed — was found in a wash basin.
Then on Thursday, they found 24-year-old Elizabeth Night Odhiambo, who was eight months pregnant, said her husband, Stephen Onyango.
A crowd broke into applause as Odhiambo — under a blanket and with her face covered with an oxygen mask — was carried to an ambulance in a scene broadcast live on Kenyan TV.
Odhiambo was taken to Kenyatta National Hospital, where she underwent an emergency cesarean section, but doctors told Onyango the baby had not survived.
