NAIROBI, Kenya — Several people are feared trapped after a multi-storey building under construction collapsed along 9th Street in Nairobi’s Eastleigh area on Friday afternoon, prompting an emergency response and disrupting business in the busy commercial district.
The building is located along Yusuf Haji Avenue, next to Day to Day Supermarket, where shops and other businesses operate in a densely populated area.
The Kenya Red Cross said its response teams were heading to the scene following the collapse, as concerns mounted over the possibility that workers, traders or other people had been inside the building.
“A building has collapsed along Yusuf Haji Avenue, next to Day to Day Supermarket on 9th Street, Eastleigh. Kenya Red Cross response teams are en route to the scene,” the organisation said.
Nairobi County officials also acknowledged reports that people might be trapped beneath the debris. The number of people potentially affected, however, had not been confirmed at the time of reporting. The cause of the collapse was also not immediately known.
The building was reportedly still under construction, although its lower floor was occupied. The exact height of the structure remained unclear, with media reports giving conflicting estimates.
Crowds gather as rescue efforts begin
The collapse brought activity to a standstill along the busy street as residents, traders and passersby gathered near the scene to follow developments.
Images and videos seen by Vivid Voice News showed crowds assembling around the collapsed structure as emergency response efforts got under way.
The gathering complicated access to the site, raising concerns about the ability of rescue teams to reach the debris and coordinate their operations safely.
The incident also caused significant traffic congestion on roads leading into and out of Eastleigh, a major commercial hub in Nairobi’s Eastlands, disrupting movement for motorists, traders and pedestrians.
The timing of the incident, during Friday prayers, added to the challenge of managing crowds in the predominantly Muslim neighbourhood.
Videos circulating from the scene also showed residents using social media livestreams to appeal to Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja to ensure emergency services were deployed.
Reports from the scene indicated that police and other security personnel arrived to help secure the area and facilitate the emergency response.
Some accounts also described officers using tear gas to disperse onlookers, although the circumstances had not been independently confirmed by the authorities at the time of publication.
Building safety questions emerge
The collapse is likely to renew scrutiny of construction safety and regulatory oversight in Nairobi, where rapid urban development has increased demand for residential and commercial buildings.
Questions remain over whether the Eastleigh structure had the required approvals, whether construction was proceeding according to approved plans and whether occupied areas were safe while work continued on the upper floors.
At the time of publication, the Nairobi City County Government, National Police Service, National Disaster Management Unit and National Construction Authority had not issued detailed public statements clarifying the building’s approval status or the cause of the collapse.
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The immediate priority remained establishing whether anyone was trapped, locating possible survivors and determining the scale of the incident.
Further details on casualties, injuries and the circumstances surrounding the collapse were expected as emergency teams and authorities assessed the scene.
