Workers at an 18-storey building that collapsed in Eastleigh, Nairobi, have recounted how they escaped moments before the structure came crashing down, after noticing cracks and feeling the building shake.
Alexander Mugure, one of the workers at the construction site, said they spotted a crack on one section of the building while working, prompting some of them to leave in an attempt to save their lives.
“Wakati tulikuwa tunafanya kazi, tuliona kuna kona moja ilikuwa imepasuka, then tukatoka kujaribu kujiokoa, kufika chini tukaona nyumba imeporomoka,” Mugure said, describing how they noticed the damage and rushed out before the building collapsed.
Mugure estimated that about 70 workers were at the site when the incident occurred, with many scrambling to escape as the structure came down. He expressed concern that some workers had been in the basement, raising fears that they could have been trapped beneath the rubble.
Another worker, identified as Joseph, said he was carrying out plastering work with colleagues on an upper floor when they heard people shouting outside.
He said they initially thought a fight had broken out and decided to go downstairs to establish what was happening, only to discover that the building was collapsing.
“ Tulikuwa tunafikiria pengine ni watu wanapigana, tukasema wacha tutoke twende tuangalie. Kufika chini tunaona nyumba inaporomoka,” he said.
An eyewitness who was passing along the street described the collapse as sudden, saying the structure came down within approximately two minutes. The incident left debris scattered across the site and brought activity along 1st Avenue, 9th Street, to a standstill as residents and traders gathered nearby.
Emergency response teams were deployed to search for possible survivors, with machinery brought in to clear debris and create access to sections where people were feared trapped.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja, who visited the scene alongside county officials, said rescue teams were clearing parts of the rubble to allow oxygen into the building for anyone who might still be alive underneath.
Sakaja said the building had failed to comply with construction guidelines and vowed that legal action would be taken against its owner.
Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja confirmed that one person had been rescued from the rubble as search operations continued.
Police also lobbed tear gas to disperse crowds that had gathered at the scene, as officers sought to keep access routes clear for emergency responders.
At the time of reporting, the number of people still trapped, the full casualty toll and the precise cause of the collapse had not been established.
The incident has renewed concerns over construction safety and enforcement of building regulations in Nairobi, particularly in densely populated commercial neighbourhoods where multi-storey developments are common.
The workers’ accounts are likely to draw further scrutiny to whether warning signs were noticed before the collapse and what measures, if any, were taken to evacuate the site.
