Building under construction collapses in Nairobi's Eastleigh; one woman rescued, others feared trapped

A multi-storey building under construction collapsed along 9th Street in Nairobi's Eastleigh at about 1pm on 23 October, and several people were feared trapped in the rubble.

One woman was pulled out alive and was responding to treatment, Capital FM reported. No official figure for the dead, injured or missing had been released.

Kenyan media put the building's height at between 12 and 18 storeys. Nairobi police boss Issa Mohamud said, as quoted by The Star: "The house was about 10 floors but we are waiting for more as the responders rush to save lives."

Witnesses quoted by The Standard said the building first shook and came down about ten minutes later. Among the victims were construction workers who had been on the upper floors.

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, who went to the site, said the building had received an approval certificate from the county government but did not have an occupation certificate, as quoted by the Kenyan news site Kenyans.co.ke. "From the look here it appears like there was no professional on site," he said.

Sakaja said rescuers had heard people communicating from inside the rubble and were clearing debris so that air could reach them. In an update at about 6pm, Kenyans.co.ke reported that rescue teams had temporarily suspended debris removal after people trapped inside warned that the work was affecting their oxygen supply.

Kenya Red Cross teams and Nairobi City County emergency crews joined the rescue, and heavy machinery was brought in to clear debris and open access routes. Police fired tear gas to disperse a crowd that had gathered.

Mohamud said the cause of the collapse had not been established and the building's owner had not presented himself to police, who were looking for him. "Any person or group of people found culpable will be held fully accountable in accordance with the laws of Kenya," he said, as quoted by the Kenyan news site Kahawatungu.