Nairobi High-Rise Collapse Prompts Rescue Search

A 16- to 18-storey building under construction collapsed Friday in Nairobi’s crowded Eastleigh district, crushing occupied ground-floor businesses and leaving people feared trapped in the rubble. Rescue teams pulled injured people to hospital and continued searching; reports said voices or phone calls may have come from beneath the debris, but officials had not confirmed how many people were missing or injured. Tight access, limited equipment, crowds and looting complicated the operation, and officials warned the damaged structure could collapse further. Authorities said the building lacked an occupation certificate, while witnesses and engineers cited reported cracks and other warning signs; officials pledged to investigate possible approval and safety violations. The collapse renewed concerns about construction oversight in Nairobi, where an audit found that 87% of buildings examined last year failed to meet standards or lacked required approvals.