Rescue crews worked through debris in Kenya’s capital on Friday after a multi-storey building under construction collapsed in Nairobi’s South C area, trapping at least four people beneath the rubble as emergency teams rushed to reach survivors.
The Kenya Red Cross said a coordinated, multi-agency rescue operation was underway at the scene, with responders focusing on locating those believed to be buried inside the structure. Authorities identified the trapped individuals as two security guards and two pedestrians who were nearby when the building gave way.
Geoffrey Ruku, cabinet secretary for the Ministry of Public Service, said one man — a taxi driver — survived the collapse and was taken to a nearby hospital. Officials said the driver provided critical details that helped rescuers understand how several people became trapped.
Ruku said the driver had been waiting for a passenger when the structure suddenly came down, pulling nearby pedestrians into the debris. Emergency responders have since used that information to guide search efforts.
Family members of those trapped pleaded for faster action as hours passed. Safia Ali Aden, whose brother was among the watchmen on duty, said he managed to call her from beneath the wreckage early Friday morning.
“He has been trapped since about 4:30 a.m., and as a family we are very worried,” she said, urging authorities to accelerate rescue efforts so her brother could be pulled out alive.
Ruku said President William Ruto had been briefed on the collapse as investigators moved to determine what caused the failure. Preliminary findings indicate the building exceeded its approved height.
“The structure was authorized for a maximum of 12 floors, but had already reached 14,” Ruku said, adding that early assessments point to column overload as a likely factor in the collapse.
The Kenya Red Cross said engineers were also examining a neighboring building after it showed signs of structural weakness, raising fears of additional danger in the area.
Building collapses are a recurring problem in Nairobi, where rapid urban growth and high housing demand have fueled construction booms often marred by poor oversight. Developers have frequently been accused of ignoring safety standards or bypassing regulations altogether.
After a series of deadly collapses in 2015 that killed at least 15 people, Kenya’s presidency ordered a nationwide audit of building safety. The National Construction Authority later found that more than half of Nairobi’s buildings — 58% — were unfit for human habitation.
As rescue teams continued digging through the rubble Friday, officials said efforts would remain focused on reaching the trapped victims while investigators worked to establish accountability for the collapse.
Africanews
