Rescue teams are searching for people believed to be trapped beneath a multi-storey building that collapsed in Eastleigh, Nairobi, with around 11 people reported missing as emergency operations continue.
Kenya’s Interior Cabinet Secretary, Kipchumba Murkomen, said 67 workers had been on the upper section of the building, where construction work was underway. Of those, 66 reportedly escaped safely, while one sustained injuries.
The ground floor housed several shops, where approximately 11 people were believed to have been present when the building collapsed.
According to the Associated Press, those individuals had not been accounted for as search and rescue teams worked through the debris.
Emergency personnel and other responders have gathered at the scene to search for survivors.
The operation is continuing, although authorities have yet to provide a complete account of the missing people’s whereabouts or confirm the full circumstances surrounding the collapse.
The incident has renewed concerns about building safety and enforcement of construction regulations in Kenya, particularly in cases involving structures that may lack the necessary approvals or fail to meet technical standards.
Kenya’s National Building Inspectorate has previously reported widespread compliance problems.
According to figures cited in the report, 87 per cent of buildings inspected during the previous year failed to meet required standards or lacked the necessary approvals.
However, there is no confirmed evidence that the Eastleigh building was among those found to be non-compliant.
Reports indicate that the collapsed structure was registered on July 30, 2025. It remains unclear whether it underwent an official inspection before the collapse or whether authorities had identified any structural concerns.
For now, rescue operations remain the priority, as officials work to establish whether anyone is still trapped beneath the rubble.
The cause of the collapse has not been officially determined, and further information is needed to clarify the building’s compliance status and the circumstances that led to the disaster.