Police have confirmed that at least one person has died and three others were rescued after a building under construction partially collapsed in Nairobi’s Westlands area on Wednesday night.
According to authorities, the structure had reached 22 floors when part of the upper section gave way at around 8 p.m. along School Lane, trapping four workers who were on site at the time.
Emergency responders, including the Kenya Red Cross, reported that two of the workers managed to escape unharmed, while two others remained trapped beneath the debris as rescue operations continued into the night.
The collapse adds to growing concerns over construction safety in Nairobi, where a series of similar incidents in recent months has raised questions about regulatory enforcement and adherence to building standards.
Rescue teams were swiftly deployed to the scene near the Bank of Africa and have been working tirelessly to locate and extract those still missing. Authorities have since cordoned off the area to facilitate ongoing search and rescue efforts, though the condition of the trapped individuals remains unclear.
This latest incident comes less than a day after another building collapse in Kericho, where at least one person lost their life and several others were injured. The Kericho incident occurred in Kaptebeswet area, Kipchebor Ward, prompting an emergency response from county authorities.
Images shared by officials showed a partially collapsed structure, with a sunken concrete slab exposing twisted reinforcement bars and a compromised support column. The site also revealed unstable wooden formwork, raising further concerns about construction practices.
Authorities are expected to provide additional updates as rescue operations and investigations continue.