In brief
A 16‑ to 18‑storey building in Nairobi's Eastleigh area collapsed on Friday, leaving seven people missing and most of the 67 workers unharmed. Rescue teams, led by emergency services, are sifting through rubble while avoiding machinery that could cut off air supply. The collapse raises fresh questions about construction standards, as the block was still under construction and some shops had opened below. Kenyan authorities have identified the developer, architect and engineer, but no occupation permits were held and the site’s safety inspections remain unclear.
Seven people are feared trapped beneath the rubble of a collapsed multi‑storey block in Nairobi's Eastleigh district.
The 16‑ or 18‑storey structure gave way on Friday afternoon, sending a plume of dust across the surrounding streets. Emergency responders are conducting man‑hunt operations and have grounded heavy excavators out of concern that digging could oxygenate the trapped victims.
Of the 67 construction workers in the building at the time, 66 escaped unharmed and only one suffered a non‑life‑threatening injury. The missing persons were believed to be customers in shops that had opened on the building’s first floor.
The collapse has reignited fears about lax construction standards in Nairobi, where many buildings have fallen to poorly engineered or poorly supervised foundations. Kenya’s National Construction Authority said it had identified the developer, architect and structural engineer behind the project, but the site had not undergone a pre‑collapse inspection and the owners lacked the paperwork to allow the building to be occupied.
Nairobi Governor Kivutha Kithure urged the national government to grant local authorities more power to penalise developers who ignore approved building plans and safety guidelines.
Building collapses remain a recurring danger in Nairobi, and the incident highlights the urgent need for stricter enforcement of building regulations.
