NAIROBI, Kenya — Police have warned social media content creators and citizen journalists against livestreaming rescue operations at the site of the collapsed building in Nairobi’s Eastleigh, saying the broadcasts could jeopardise efforts to locate and rescue people trapped beneath the rubble.
Incident Police Commander Duncan Ochieng issued the warning on Tuesday, October 27, as multi-agency teams continued searching the remains of the 18-storey building that collapsed along 9th Street on Friday, October 23.
Ochieng said some content creators had been broadcasting live on TikTok and other social media platforms from the scene, raising concerns about possible interference with the rescue operation.
“Some of us here have been doing live recording on TikTok and all these other platforms. This jeopardizes our operation, so I would urge you to desist from that so that the operation can be done in the most effective way,” Ochieng said.
He added that the teams were conducting the operation in accordance with international standards and urged those at the scene to allow rescuers to work without interference.
“What we are doing here, we are doing it based on international standards,” he said.
Police urge cooperation as rescue operation continues
Since the collapse, content creators and citizen journalists have converged on the site to provide updates, interviews and commentary to audiences online.
Some have attracted attention for their detailed coverage of the unfolding disaster, offering information directly from the scene as families wait for news of missing relatives.
However, police have appealed for cooperation, stressing that rescue operations require coordination between emergency personnel, specialist teams and the agencies supporting the response.
Ochieng said the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) was providing technical guidance to the operation. He also said well-wishers had donated equipment, including acoustic listening devices, to help rescuers search for signs of life beneath the debris.
The warning comes as specialist personnel and heavy machinery continue to support efforts to access difficult sections of the collapsed structure.
Chinese specialists join search efforts
Chinese specialist rescue personnel have joined the multi-agency operation, bringing additional expertise and equipment to the search.
Construction equipment manufacturer XCMG Group deployed an excavator on the first day of the response, followed by a 25-tonne crane the next day, according to the supplied report.
The machinery has been used to move heavy concrete slabs and clear debris obstructing access to parts of the collapsed building.
The deployment of specialist teams and equipment is intended to strengthen the operation as rescuers continue searching areas where people may remain trapped.
On Tuesday, Vivid Voice News reported that a Chinese search-and-rescue team had joined the operation and that six survivors had been rescued by that stage.
Red Cross continues tracing missing people
The Kenya Red Cross has also been working to verify reports of missing people and reunite survivors with their families.
George Ndono, head of the Kenya Red Cross Lower Eastern Region, said 30 of the 52 cases recorded at the organisation’s tracing desk had been closed after people were traced and reunited with their families.
The figures in the supplied account contain a discrepancy: closing 30 cases out of 52 would leave 22 unresolved, although Ndono is quoted as saying 20 remained.
The outstanding figure should therefore be confirmed with the Kenya Red Cross before publication.
Also Read: Eastleigh building collapse: Engineer disputes role, demands records from NCA
The tracing process is important because the number of people reported missing does not necessarily equal the number still trapped beneath the rubble.
Authorities and humanitarian teams must establish each person’s whereabouts before drawing conclusions about the number of potential victims.
The Kenya Red Cross has urged families seeking information about missing relatives to use its tracing services and emergency response channels.
Investigations into collapse continue
The building, which was under construction when it collapsed on October 23, has raised questions about construction approvals, oversight and compliance with building regulations.
Authorities have said investigations are underway to establish the circumstances surrounding the collapse and determine whether any parties bear responsibility.
For now, rescue teams remain focused on searching the rubble, while police have urged members of the public and content creators to cooperate with emergency personnel and avoid actions that could interfere with the operation.
The authorities have not said that livestreaming has caused a specific rescue failure. The police warning is a request to protect the effectiveness of the ongoing operation as teams work to establish whether anyone remains trapped.
