Building collapse in Kenya buries dozens; seven missing

A building under construction in Kenya's capital collapsed on Friday, burying an unknown number of people beneath the rubble. The structure, reported to have reached 16 storeys, came down in Eastleigh, a densely packed commercial district of Nairobi, sending up clouds of dust as floors pancaked onto one another.

Rescue teams were called to the scene and began the complex work of searching for survivors trapped under concrete and twisted metal. Video from the site showed the building reduced to a heap of debris, with emergency workers picking through the wreckage.

Kenya's Interior Minister, Kipchumba Murkomen, said seven people were reported missing after the collapse. He said 67 construction workers had been on site at the time, while around 11 shops were operating on the lower floors and in the basement. The fear was that workers, traders and customers were caught beneath the rubble when the building gave way.

Building collapse in Kenya buries dozens; seven missing (Photo: social media)

Rescue crews worked through the night and into Saturday, using engineering equipment and detection devices to locate survivors. One person was pulled from the wreckage on Saturday after more than 24 hours buried in the debris. Teams continued searching for the missing, deploying dogs and thermal sensors to scan the ruins.

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja said the building had no occupancy permit, even though businesses were operating on the lower floors. Professionals who arrived at the scene also reported that cracks had been visible in the structure before it collapsed.

Authorities have opened an investigation into the circumstances of the disaster, while rescue operations continue. According to a survey published in Kenya, 87 per cent of buildings inspected across the country in the previous year failed to meet required standards or lacked the proper permits.