Building collapses in Eastleigh, Nairobi; rescuers search debris

DW Africa posted a TikTok on October 23 that describes rescue teams searching for survivors after a multistory building under construction collapsed in Eastleigh, one of Nairobi’s busiest commercial neighborhoods, on Friday afternoon. The channel’s description says several people are feared trapped beneath the debris as emergency responders, including the Kenya Red Cross, work at the scene, that the collapse disrupted businesses and traffic around 9th Street near Yusuf Haji Avenue, and that authorities have yet to confirm the number trapped or any fatalities.

Seven people are missing.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen gave that figure after visiting the site with Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku, KBC Digital reported. He said 67 construction workers were present when the structure came down. Sixty-six escaped uninjured. One was hurt and remained in stable condition in hospital. Eleven shops on the ground floor and in the basement were occupied at the time of the incident, according to the same report. A multi-agency team that includes the Kenya Defence Forces, National Police Service, Nairobi City County Government, National Youth Service and Kenya Red Cross is running the search.

The Kenya Red Cross said the building collapsed at about 1:40 p.m. local time, Euronews reported. The Daily Nation located the wreckage along Yusuf Haji Avenue next to Day to Day Supermarket on 9th Street. Accounts of the building’s height do not match. KBC Digital called it 18-storey. Kenyans Live described a 16-storey structure. Euronews cited conflicting figures ranging from 10 to 18 storeys and said no official height has been confirmed. An excavator was deployed among the wreckage, Euronews added.

“Seven people have been reported missing. The rescue team has made contact with some of them, and efforts are underway to rescue those trapped in the rubble,” Murkomen said, per KBC. He stated that the government is providing the rescue team with all the support it needs to expedite the operation and that support for affected individuals and families, including psychosocial support, is being arranged. Families looking for missing relatives were directed to the Kenya Red Cross emergency number, 1199. Murkomen said the cause would be investigated by national and county agencies working with professional bodies and that anyone found responsible would be held accountable.

Kenyans Live reported that a woman was pulled from the rubble and was responding to treatment. Nairobi police boss Issa Mohamed, rendered as Issa Mohamud by Kenyans Live, told the Daily Nation that emergency crews remain on site as the search for survivors continues. He said police lobbed tear gas to disperse onlookers, with extra officers sent to coordinate the response. “Emergency crews are on site as efforts continue to search for survivors,” Mohamed told the Nation. “We urge the public to keep clear of the area to allow emergency teams to work safely,” the Kenya Red Cross said.