Rescue teams in Eastleigh, Nairobi, have accounted for 26 people who were reported missing after a multi-storey building collapsed, while two injured victims have been taken to Kenyatta National Hospital for treatment.
The Kenya Red Cross confirmed the developments on Friday, October 23, as emergency personnel continued searching the site along 9th Street for anyone who may still be trapped beneath the debris.
The agency said responders from different emergency services were working together to support the rescue mission, assess the situation and help establish the whereabouts of people whose families had raised concerns over their safety.
“Two injured people have been taken to Kenyatta National Hospital. Of the people reported missing, 26 have now been traced and accounted for,” the humanitarian agency said.
As families continued seeking information about their relatives, the Kenya Red Cross established a tracing desk at the scene to help reunite people with loved ones and provide assistance to those searching for missing family members.
“Our teams remain on site with multi-agency partners. A tracing desk at the site is open for families looking for loved ones,” the agency said.
The public has been advised to use the Kenya Red Cross toll-free number, 1199, to seek information about relatives whose whereabouts remain unknown following the incident.
Building collapse triggers emergency response
The operation followed the collapse of a building under construction in the densely populated Eastleigh area, prompting a response from police, Nairobi City County officials and disaster management personnel.
According to Nairobi City County, the structure had 18 storeys, and the ground floor was occupied when the incident occurred.
Emergency teams moved to the location to inspect the affected structure, search through the rubble for possible survivors and clear debris to improve access to the site.
The incident has also drawn attention to the building's compliance with construction requirements. Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja visited the scene and said the structure had not met the required construction guidelines.
Sakaja pledged that legal action would be taken against those found responsible for the building's collapse as authorities sought to establish how the incident happened.
Police promise action against those responsible
Nairobi Regional Police Commander Issa Mohamud said investigators would conduct a thorough inquiry into the collapse, including whether criminal negligence contributed to the incident.
He warned that the building's owner and those who authorised its construction could face charges once investigations establish their responsibility.
“Whoever is the owner, whoever authorised the building, all of them will be charged properly. But that will come after thorough investigation is done,” Mohamud said.
Meanwhile, multi-agency teams continued rescue and clearance work at the site as authorities sought to account for those affected and determine whether anyone else remained trapped under the rubble.