Emergency crews in Nairobi are recovering victims from an under-construction building collapse on 9th Street near Yusuf Haji Avenue that left at least one person dead and sixteen missing, nos.nl reported.
Search Operations in Eastleigh
Rescue workers in the busy commercial district of Eastleigh utilized thermal imaging cameras to locate survivors beneath the rubble. According to the Kenyan authorities cited by nos.nl, infrared equipment detected two people trapped under concrete debris, though their conditions remain unknown. The Kenyan Red Cross has assisted at the site while large crowds of bystanders gathered, prompting police to deploy tear gas to clear space, nl24.nu reported.
Discrepancies Over Building Height
Reports regarding the scale of the collapsed structure differ among news organizations. Nos.nl reported that the building stood at eighteen floors, while Reuters recorded the height at twelve stories. Police chief Issa Mohamud noted that looters targeted nearby shops during the chaos, and rescue efforts face ongoing risks because remaining sections of the collapsed structure lean dangerously against an adjacent building, according to nl24.nu.
Lack of Permits and Prior Occupancy
Johnson Sakaja stated that construction proceeded without the necessary permits and that ground-floor spaces—which housed an electronics store, a butcher shop, and a vegetable market—should never have been rented out or occupied while work continued on the upper levels, nos.nl reported. The Associated Press noted that building collapses occur frequently in the Kenyan capital due to insufficient oversight of construction regulations.
Four People Rescued Alive After Eastleigh Building Collapse
Where exactly did the collapse occur in Nairobi?
The incident took place on 9th Street near Yusuf Haji Avenue within the commercial district of Eastleigh.
How many people were rescued immediately following the collapse?
Four people were pulled alive from the wreckage one day after the structure caved in.
What commercial establishments operated on the ground floor?
The lower level housed an electronics store, a butcher shop, and a vegetable market prior to the disaster.
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