NAIROBI, Kenya — Workers at a multi-storey building that collapsed in Nairobi’s Eastleigh area have described fleeing for their lives after noticing cracks in the structure moments before it came crashing down.
Alexander Mugure, one of the workers at the site, said they noticed a section of the building had developed a crack, prompting some workers to leave in an attempt to escape.
“Wakati tulikuwa tunafanya kazi, tuliona kuna kona moja ilikuwa imepasuka, then tukatoka kujaribu kujiokoa, kufika chini tukaona nyumba imeporomoka,” he said.
Mugure said about 70 workers were at the site when the building collapsed, with many rushing to get out. He expressed concern that some colleagues had been working in the basement and could have been trapped beneath the rubble.
The estimate of workers at the site has not been independently verified.
Joseph, another worker who was carrying out plastering, said he and his colleagues were on an upper floor when they heard people shouting outside.
He said they initially thought a fight had broken out and went downstairs to investigate, only to discover that the building was collapsing.
“Tulikuwa tunafikiria pengine ni watu wanapigana, tukasema wacha tutoke twende tuangalie. Kufika chini tunaona nyumba inaporomoka,” he said.
The accounts describe the confusion in the moments before the collapse, as workers attempted to escape the structure.
Eyewitness describes sudden collapse
An eyewitness who was passing along the street said the building came down suddenly, estimating that the collapse took about two minutes.
The debris spread across the site, drawing crowds of residents and traders as emergency teams arrived to search for possible survivors.
Rescue personnel deployed machinery to remove rubble and gain access to sections where people were feared trapped.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, who visited the scene with county officials, said rescuers were clearing parts of the debris to allow oxygen to reach people believed to be alive inside the collapsed structure.
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Sakaja also said the building did not comply with construction guidelines and warned that legal action would be taken against its owner.
The circumstances surrounding the collapse, including whether construction and safety requirements were followed, remained under scrutiny.
Rescue operation continues
Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja confirmed that one person had been rescued from the rubble as search operations continued.
Police earlier used tear gas to disperse crowds gathered at the scene, as officers sought to keep access routes clear for emergency responders and rescue equipment.
Authorities had yet to establish the number of workers or members of the public who might still be trapped, the full casualty toll or the cause of the collapse at the time of reporting.
The incident has renewed concerns about construction safety and the enforcement of building regulations in Nairobi, where multi-storey developments stand alongside busy commercial premises and densely populated neighbourhoods.
The accounts from workers have added an important dimension to the investigation: whether warning signs were visible before the collapse and whether there was sufficient time and an effective procedure to evacuate people from the building.
