Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has confirmed that all individuals feared trapped in the collapsed eight-storey residential building in Kahawa West have been accounted for, including the masons who were working on the structure before it came down.
According to the Governor, the masons, hired by the building’s owner to repair cracked pillars and walls, were working on the ground floor when the building collapsed.
Fortunately, they, along with other missing persons, have been located safely. This includes a woman and child who were initially reported missing.
“There were more than 60 tenants in the building, but they had been evacuated before the collapse,” Sakaja said.
He added that a neighboring building, which also showed signs of structural failure, has since been evacuated as a precaution.
Nairobi County Deputy Governor Njoroge Muchiri visited the site to oversee the ongoing search and rescue operations, which are being conducted by multi-agency teams.
Governor Sakaja said that, fortunately, the number of casualties is expected to be minimal as the building had been condemned, and evacuations were already underway by the Nairobi City County’s Planning Enforcement team.
“So far, we’ve recorded only one injury—a middle-aged woman who was outside the building and was struck by falling debris,” Sakaja reported.
The collapse, which occurred early Sunday, was anticipated by locals who had noticed the building’s weakness.
They mobilized residents to evacuate and even recorded video footage of the building moments before it crumbled to the ground. In the footage, residents can be heard warning others to move away from the area before the structure collapsed amid screams.
Nairobi Police Commander Adamson Bungei confirmed that the residents had been evacuated in time.
“The building was showing signs of weakness, and the residents were advised to leave. We are conducting thorough searches to ensure no one is left inside,” Bungei stated.
