Nairobi construction site collapse prompts search for trapped workers

An 18-storey building under construction collapsed in Eastleigh, a densely populated business and residential district of Nairobi, sending dust and debris across the street. Search-and-rescue teams arrived to look for survivors, while police used tear gas to disperse crowds; the collapse has renewed concerns about construction safety amid Nairobi’s rapid growth.

The collapse happened around lunchtime, and a resident said many workers may have been away at Friday prayers, though local media reported possible casualties trapped in the rubble. A 2019 report recorded 86 building collapses in Nairobi between 2009 and 2019, with an estimated 200 deaths. An inspection of nearly 15,000 buildings found 4.8 per cent were very dangerous and 72.3 per cent unsafe; annual completions rose from 20,025 in 2022 to 25,090 last year.