Eastleigh collapse eight days later: 16 still missing as rescuers recover woman’s body
An aerial view of the site of the collapsed building in Eastleigh, Nairobi as excavators clear debris on October 30, 2026.
What you need to know:
- Nairobi North Regional Commissioner said the body was recovered on Friday around 6am.
- Six people have been rescued since the multi-storey building collapsed on October 23.
The search for survivors of the collapsed building in Eastleigh, Nairobi, turned tragic on Friday after rescue workers recovered the dismembered body of a woman, eight days after the multi-storey structure came crashing down.
Nairobi North Regional Commissioner Simon Osumba said the body was recovered around 6am and taken to the City Mortuary for DNA analysis to establish the woman’s identity and help trace her family.
“We are continuing with the operation to establish whether the relatives of the Kenyans waiting here are alive or, if not, we help get them the body of their kin… the process like DNA will be done before we hand over to the family…. We have gotten help from government and non-governmental organisations,” he said.
The recovery came as emergency teams continued clearing debris from the site along 9th Street, where the building collapsed on October 23, trapping several people beneath tonnes of concrete and rubble.
Kenya Red Cross personnel and emergency responders at the scene of the collapsed building in Eastleigh, Nairobi on October 30, 2026.
Mr Osumba said 16 people remained unaccounted for following a verification exercise conducted by the Kenya Red Cross and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
He said investigators had used mobile phone data to establish that nine of the missing people were at the building shortly before it collapsed.
Authorities are pursuing information in four other cases, while three families are yet to provide phone numbers to help investigators trace their missing relatives.
National Disaster Management Unit Director Duncan Ochieng said the rescue operation was approaching 85 per cent completion, with teams proceeding cautiously as they sought to establish whether anyone could still be alive beneath the debris.
“The team located one body through tactical means. The DNA will be carried out so that we know who she was… the exercise is ongoing and we are closing in on 85 per cent…. We cannot emphasise the need to be safe. Every disaster site is a crime scene and the public should know that … let them be mindful of their safety,” Dr Ochieng said.
He said the operation had been complicated by limited working space, forcing rescuers to proceed cautiously as they searched for possible survivors and recovered the deceased.
Dr Ochieng said another family had reported a missing relative, adding that the overall number of people reported missing remained unchanged.
“They are not Kenyan but the number remains the same,” he said.
Dr Ochieng said the operation would only be declared complete after all the debris had been cleared and rescuers were satisfied that no other bodies remained beneath the rubble.
Rescue personnel sift through rubble at the site of the collapsed building in Eastleigh, Nairobi as excavators clear debris on October 30, 2026.
“We should not kill ourselves. We will finish this. Let’s just be patient and we will reach ground zero completely after reducing the debris and be satisfied that there is no any other body,” he said.
Six people have been rescued since the building collapsed, while emergency response teams have continued working around the clock to access the lower sections of the structure, including the basement, where some of the missing people are suspected to have been trapped.
Hopes of finding more survivors had earlier been raised after specialised rescue equipment detected possible signs of life beneath the rubble.
Dr Ochieng said teams were working to access the sections where the signals had been detected.
The recovery of the woman’s body comes as investigators examine possible breaches of construction regulations and failures in building supervision that may have contributed to the collapse.
Detectives are questioning one of the developers, alongside officials from Nairobi County, the National Building Inspectorate and the National Construction Authority, as investigations continue.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has directed the DCI to investigate possible negligence, omissions or misconduct by public officials, developers and construction professionals involved in the project.
Investigators are expected to establish whether the building had the necessary approvals, was properly inspected and complied with the required construction and safety standards.
The ODPP said it would take appropriate prosecutorial action against anyone found criminally culpable, provided sufficient evidence was available, regardless of their position or status.
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