A man has been pulled alive from the debris of an 18-storey building that collapsed in Eastleigh, Nairobi, and rushed to Kenyatta National Hospital for treatment, offering a breakthrough in the rescue operation as authorities continue efforts to account for everyone who was at the site.
The Kenya Red Cross announced the rescue on Saturday, October 24, 2026, saying its search and rescue teams worked alongside other emergency responders for hours before bringing the trapped man to safety.
In its update, the organisation credited the successful operation to the combined efforts of its personnel and multi-agency teams deployed to the scene along Yusuf Haji Avenue.
“After hours of painstaking work alongside multi-agency partners, our search and rescue teams in Eastleigh brought a trapped man out of the rubble,” the organisation said.
The survivor was subsequently taken to Kenyatta National Hospital, where he was to receive medical attention following the ordeal.
The rescue comes as emergency personnel continue combing through the remains of the collapsed structure in an effort to determine whether more people were caught in the incident.
According to the Kenya Red Cross, 66 of the 67 construction workers who were at the site had been traced and accounted for by Saturday afternoon.
The organisation, however, said the operation was still in progress as teams worked to establish whether anyone else remained missing following the collapse.
“Our teams remain on site with multi-agency partners,” the organisation said.
The ongoing response involves continued searches through the debris as rescuers seek to establish the whereabouts of anyone who may have been inside or near the building when it collapsed.
The incident has also prompted efforts to help families establish the whereabouts of their relatives, particularly those who may have been working at or visiting the site.
The Kenya Red Cross has asked people looking for missing family members to report to its tracing desk at the scene for assistance.
Those unable to reach the site can contact the organisation through its toll-free number, 1199, to seek information and support in tracing their relatives.
Meanwhile, rescue teams remain at the collapsed building along Yusuf Haji Avenue, with the search continuing as responders work to account for those who may have been affected.
The Kenya Red Cross said its personnel would continue working with other agencies at the scene while efforts to establish whether anyone else was missing remained underway.