NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 2 — Police sniffer dogs have been deployed to assist search and rescue operations at the site of a collapsed 16-storey building in South C, Nairobi, amid fears that people may be trapped under the rubble.
The Kenya Red Cross said the area remains cordoned off as multi-agency teams continue combing through debris.
Responders at the scene include the National Disaster Management Unit, Nairobi City County officials, the National Police Service, and the Kenya Red Cross.
In a statement Friday morning, the Red Cross confirmed that a coordinated emergency response team was dispatched early to manage the situation and assess the extent of the damage.
“Early this morning, a building under construction collapsed in the Shopping Centre area of South C, Nairobi County,” the Kenya Red Cross said.
Kileleshwa Member of County Assembly (MCA) Robert Alai subsequently claimed that at least two security guards and two Bolt drivers, along with their passengers, were trapped.
However, authorities have not officially confirmed any fatalities, and details regarding casualties or possible trapped victims remain unavailable.
The cause of the building’s collapse has not yet been established.
The incident has reignited concerns over construction safety standards, approval processes, and enforcement of regulations governing high-rise developments in Nairobi, following a series of similar incidents in recent years.
In September 2023, a 10-storey residential building under construction collapsed along Mirema Drive in the Zimmerman area of Roysambu, damaging nearby structures.
No casualties were reported, although preliminary investigations pointed to poor-quality structural concrete as a possible cause.
In October 2024, an eight-storey residential building in Kahawa West also collapsed. The structure had previously been condemned for demolition, and tenants were in the process of being evacuated, minimizing injuries.
