A multi-storey building under construction collapsed in Nairobi’s Eastleigh district on Friday 23 October, leaving a vast heap of concrete rubble and twisted debris. The Kenya Red Cross said the structure came down at about 1:40 pm local time along Yusuf Haji Avenue and dispatched emergency response teams to assist search-and-rescue efforts.
Footage from the Kenyan capital showed the scale of the destruction, with large sections of the unfinished structure reduced to piles of broken concrete. An excavator was deployed among the wreckage while Red Cross personnel worked at the site, urging the public to stay clear so rescuers could operate safely.
Several people were feared trapped beneath the rubble, although authorities had not yet confirmed casualties, injuries, or the number of missing persons. The Nairobi County governor’s office noted reports of trapped individuals, while Reuters reported that the ground floor of the building had been occupied.
There were conflicting accounts over the building’s height, ranging between 10 and 18 storeys. No official height or cause of the collapse have been confirmed.
The collapse has once again raised questions about construction standards in Kenya, where similar disasters have repeatedly claimed lives amid concerns over inadequate safety checks and enforcement.