Rescue operations are continuing in Nairobi after a multi-storey building under construction collapsed on Friday, trapping at least four people, according to Kenyan authorities.
The incident occurred in the South C area of the capital. The Kenya Red Cross said a multi-agency emergency response team is on the ground coordinating rescue efforts and managing the situation.
Geoffrey Ruku, the Cabinet Secretary for the Ministry of Public Service, told local media that two watchmen and two pedestrians are believed to be trapped beneath the rubble. He added that a taxi driver who survived the collapse was rushed to a nearby hospital and provided crucial information to rescuers.
“The taxi driver was waiting for a customer, and there were two pedestrians standing nearby. He witnessed them getting trapped as the building came down,” Ruku said.
Family members of the trapped victims have appealed for faster rescue efforts. Safia Ali Aden, whose brother is one of the watchmen trapped inside the building, said he managed to call her from under the rubble.
“Since 4:30 a.m. he has been trapped there. The response is too slow, and as a family we are very worried. We need the rescue to be hurried so that we can get our family member back,” she said.
Ruku confirmed that President William Ruto has been briefed on the incident, and investigations into the cause of the collapse are underway. Preliminary findings indicate that the building had been approved for a maximum of 12 floors but had already reached 14 floors at the time of the collapse.
“At the preliminary stage, it is expected that the building collapsed due to column overload,” Ruku explained.
The Kenya Red Cross also reported that a nearby building is being inspected after showing signs of possible structural failure.
Building collapses are a recurring problem in Nairobi, driven by high demand for housing and frequent violations of construction regulations. In 2015, eight building collapses killed at least 15 people, prompting a nationwide audit. The National Construction Authority later revealed that 58 percent of buildings in Nairobi were unfit for human habitation.
