NAIROBI, Kenya — Dozens of people are feared trapped after a multi-storey high-rise building collapsed into a pile of rubble in a densely populated commercial hub in the Kenyan capital on Friday. The structure crumbled during the busy lunch hour, sending shockwaves through the neighborhood as floors pancaked on top of one another.
Emergency response teams, including the Kenya Red Cross and local disaster management units, rushed to the scene in Nairobi’s bustling Eastleigh district. Rescuers face a daunting task as they search through twisted steel rebar and thick concrete slabs in search of survivors.
Witnesses described a scene of immediate terror as the multi-storey structure gave way, creating a massive cloud of dust that choked nearby streets. The building was under construction, but the ground floor and basement levels were already operational, housing businesses including an electronics shop, a butchery, and a grocery store that were filled with traders and shoppers at the time.
Anguished relatives gathered outside the perimeter as police worked to secure the area. Some residents reported receiving frantic distress calls from loved ones trapped in pockets beneath the concrete immediately following the collapse, before the phone lines went completely silent.
"We are doing everything possible to clear access routes so heavy machinery and specialized search teams can work safely," said local emergency officials. Search efforts were temporarily complicated by large crowds of onlookers gathering around the narrow streets, prompting law enforcement to clear the zone for heavy equipment.
The disaster has reignited intense public scrutiny over building safety standards and urban development enforcement in Nairobi. The capital has seen a massive construction boom in recent years to accommodate rapid population growth, but municipal regulators have repeatedly faced criticism for inadequate oversight.
City authorities confirmed that while the developer had obtained preliminary construction permits, the building lacked a valid certificate of occupation. Operating commercial businesses inside an unfinished high-rise violates city bylaws, officials stated, promising a full criminal investigation into potential negligence by the developers and contractors.
A central reporting center and aid tent have been established near the site for families searching for missing relatives as heavy machinery works through the night to clear debris.
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