Emergency response teams are racing against time in Nairobi’s Eastleigh commercial district following the sudden collapse of an 18-storey building on Friday afternoon.
The incident occurred along 9th Street, near the intersection of First Avenue and Yusuf Haji Avenue, adjacent to the Day to Day Supermarket.
The disaster struck in one of the city’s most densely populated and high-traffic trading centers. Eyewitnesses reported a loud groan from the structure before it crumpled into a vast heap of twisted steel and concrete debris, sending thick dust plumes across neighboring streets.
Emergency Response and Search Efforts
First responders, including teams from the Kenya Red Cross, Nairobi County disaster services, and Kenya Police, deployed to the scene shortly after the collapse. Heavy traffic and dense crowds gathering around the perimeter created early logistical hurdles for incoming ambulances and heavy excavation machinery.
Former Nairobi County Chief Officer Geoffrey Mosiria made an urgent public call for specialized engineers, medical teams, and heavy-lift equipment to assist with the rescue efforts.
“Every second counts right now,” Mosiria said, urging onlookers to clear the area to give search teams unimpeded access to the rubble.
Police established a security cordon to clear surrounding thoroughfares and manage crowd control as heavy equipment moved in to begin clearing primary slabs.
Trapped Occupants Feared
While the upper levels of the multi-storey structure were still actively under construction, initial reports indicate that lower floors were occupied by businesses and workers at the time of the collapse.
Authorities have not yet confirmed casualty numbers or the exact number of individuals trapped beneath the debris. Search and rescue operations remain active as specialized teams work to locate survivors beneath the rubble.
The cause of the collapse remains under investigation by national and county structural safety authorities.
The Moment an 18-storey building collapsed in Eastleigh, Nairobi
https://twitter.com/citynews254/status/2113600101138534414/video/1
