NAIROBI, Kenya — Rescue teams have recovered the body of a woman from the rubble of a collapsed building in Eastleigh, Nairobi, as the search for people believed to be trapped beneath the debris enters its eighth day.
The recovery on Friday, October 30, marks a grim turn in the operation following the collapse of the multi-storey building along 9th Street on October 23.
Emergency teams have been working to clear the debris and reach the lower sections of the structure, including the basement, where some of the missing people are believed to have been trapped.
The latest recovery comes after rescuers reported clearing approximately 80 per cent of the rubble, although access to parts of the collapsed structure has remained difficult.
16 people were still unaccounted for
On Thursday, October 29, authorities said 16 people remained unaccounted for following a verification exercise involving the Kenya Red Cross and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
Nairobi North County Commissioner Simon Osumba said mobile phone data had placed nine of the missing people near the building shortly before it collapsed.
Authorities were also seeking additional information in four cases, while three families had yet to provide phone numbers required to trace their relatives.
It was not immediately clear whether the woman whose body was recovered on Friday was among the 16 people previously listed as missing.
The search had earlier raised hopes of further rescues after specialised equipment detected possible signs of life beneath the rubble.
National Disaster Management Unit Director Dr Duncan Ochieng said rescue teams were working to reach the locations where the signals had been detected.
However, the operation has been slowed by the weight of the debris, restricted access and the need to proceed cautiously to avoid putting rescuers at risk.
DCI investigates circumstances surrounding collapse
The collapse has also triggered investigations into the building’s construction, approval and regulatory oversight.
Detectives have questioned one of the developers associated with the project, alongside officials from Nairobi City County, the National Building Inspectorate and the National Construction Authority (NCA).
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The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has directed the DCI to investigate possible acts of omission by public officials, developers and construction professionals involved in the project.
The investigation is expected to establish whether failures in the approval process, construction standards or regulatory supervision contributed to the collapse.
The building came down at approximately 1pm on Friday, October 23, while still under construction, prompting a multi-agency emergency response involving the National Disaster Management Unit, Kenya Red Cross, Nairobi County emergency teams, security agencies and other responders.
The recovery operation remains ongoing, with teams continuing to remove debris and search for people still unaccounted for.
