Rescue teams continued searching the rubble in Eastleigh, Nairobi, on Saturday after a multi-storey building collapsed during construction. Seven people were reported missing, as families waited anxiously for news of their loved ones.
The building collapsed at about 1pm on Friday, October 23, along 9th Street. The cause had not been established, and rescue efforts were still under way.
Search Continues at the Site
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja said rescuers were working from the top of the structure towards the basement. The aim was to reach anyone who might still be trapped beneath the debris.
Concern grew after contact with some people who had communicated with rescue teams on Friday was lost. Sakaja said he hoped their phones had simply run out of power.
“We’re asking Kenyans to keep praying for those trapped,” he said, according to the initial report.
An earlier update indicated that all 67 construction workers had been accounted for. However, people believed to have been inside shops on the ground floor and in the basement remained unaccounted for.
Emergency Teams Mobilised
Teams from Nairobi County, the Kenya Defence Forces, the National Police Service, the Kenya Red Cross and other agencies were deployed to the scene.
Heavy machinery was brought in to clear debris and help rescuers reach affected sections of the building. Medical teams were also placed on standby.
The Kenya Red Cross established a tracing desk to help families searching for missing relatives. People seeking assistance were urged to contact the organisation through its toll-free number, 1199.
Building Safety Under Scrutiny
The collapse has renewed concerns about construction standards and enforcement in Nairobi. Sakaja called for tougher penalties against developers who violate building regulations, arguing that fines as low as KSh5,000 were inadequate.
He also renewed calls for county governments to be empowered to prosecute those who breach construction rules.
Authorities said investigations would be conducted to establish what caused the collapse and whether anyone should be held responsible. No cause had been conclusively established at the time of the latest reports.
For families gathered near the scene, the immediate concern remained the search for those still missing. Rescue teams continued working through the debris as authorities sought answers about the collapse.
