Nairobi building collapse leaves 47 missing as rescue enters third day
- When they pulled me out, I told them there was a woman behind the next rubble, and she was rescued after me, tailor Victor Onyango told journalists after...
- Rescue operations entered a third night Sunday, following the disaster in a busy commercial street of Kenya's capital.
- The structure caved in Friday, trapping construction workers and occupants inside shops on the ground and basement floors.
When they pulled me out, I told them there was a woman behind the next rubble, and she was rescued after me,
tailor Victor Onyango told journalists after escaping an 18-story structure that collapsed in Nairobi.
Rescue operations entered a third night Sunday, following the disaster in a busy commercial street of Kenya’s capital. Four survivors have been pulled from the concrete and steel debris so far, while families continue to wait anxiously for news of missing relatives.
Survivors and Rescue Operations in Nairobi
The structure caved in Friday, trapping construction workers and occupants inside shops on the ground and basement floors. Authorities stated that the building lacked proper construction approval and did not possess a certificate of occupancy for those retail spaces.
Victor Onyango and shop owner Zaynaba Mohammed were rescued Saturday, after communicating from beneath the wreckage. Both individuals received hospital treatment and were subsequently discharged.
Missing Persons and Family Anguish
While the interior minister initially reported seven people trapped inside the rubble on Friday, the Kenya Red Cross on Sunday updated the missing persons count to 47. Relatives gathered at the site expressed diminishing hope as time elapsed without food or water for those beneath the debris.
This would be the third day without food and water for him.
Peter Barasa
Official Regulatory Concerns and Accountability
Nairobi County Gov. Johnson Sakaja criticized current penalties for building violations, describing them as a slap in the wrist for developers who endanger lives. The governor called for stricter enforcement against entities that flout construction regulations.
The owner of the collapsed property is deceased, and his family shared a joint ownership agreement with another party. Authorities have not clarified whether any arrests have been made regarding the unauthorized construction and illegal occupation of the basement and ground floors.