Eastleigh Building Collapse: Two Hospitalized, 26 Missing People Traced

The Kenya Red Cross says search and rescue operations are ongoing, with a tracing desk set up to assist families looking for their loved ones.

by FELIX KIPKEMOI

Kenya Red Cross at the scene of collapsed building in Eastleigh

‎‎Two people injured in the Eastleigh building collapse have been taken to Kenyatta National Hospital as rescue teams continue searching the site and tracing people reported missing.

‎The Kenya Red Cross said 26 people who had earlier been reported missing had since been traced and accounted for, as multi-agency teams continued search and rescue operations at the scene along 9th Street, Eastleigh.

‎“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 in an update.

‎The agency said its teams remained at the site working alongside other responders, while a tracing desk had been established to help families searching for relatives who may have been caught in the collapse.

‎“Our teams remain on site with multi-agency partners. A tracing desk at the site is open for families looking for loved ones,” the Kenya Red Cross said.

‎Families seeking information about missing relatives have been urged to contact the agency through its toll-free line, 1199.

‎The update came hours after a multi-storey building under construction collapsed in the densely populated Eastleigh neighbourhood, prompting an emergency response involving county officials, police and disaster management teams.

‎Nairobi City County said the building was 18 storeys high, with the ground floor occupied. Rescue personnel were deployed to assess the site, search for people trapped under the rubble and clear debris to facilitate access.

‎Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja visited the scene and said the building had not complied with construction guidelines, promising legal action against those responsible.

‎Nairobi Police Commander Issa Mohamud said thorough investigations would be conducted to establish the circumstances surrounding the collapse and determine whether criminal negligence was involved.

‎“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.