A 14-storey building that was under construction in South C area, Nairobi, collapsed on Friday morning, trapping four people underneath. Public Service Cabinet Secretary Geoffrey Ruku said those trapped under the rubble are two watchmen and two pedestrians who were walking near structure. A search and rescue mission for them has been ongoing most of the day.
According to a police report, the collapse was first reported to authorities by a taxi driver at around 4.30am after flying debris hit his car. Officers from Akila Police Station rushed to the scene to find that a building had collapsed on Muhoho Avenue.
"Another victim of the falling debris was rushed to Mbagathi Hospital and is in stable condition," the police report says.
Search and rescue operations continue in South C, where a 16-story building under construction collapsed on January 2nd, 2025.
Photo credit: Billy Ogada| Nation Media Group
The National Disaster Management Unit (NDMU), the KDF and Nairobi County disaster response teams, and rescuers from the Kenya Red Cross are at the site. However, at around 1.30pm, rescue operations were halted after a 14-storey building next to the one that just collapsed started shaking.
The 14-storey building in South C that started shaking after a 16-storey one under construction collapsed on January 2, 2025.
Photo credit: Billy Ogada| Nation Media Group
The Nairobi County Government issued a statement saying the neighbouring building is considered a "high risk structure".
"An adjacent 14-floor building has been identified as a high-risk structure, with potential structural compromise resulting from vibrations and impact caused by the collapse. Theodolite and laser equipment have been deployed within the cold zone to continuously monitor the adjacent building for wall tilting, leaning columns, crack widening, floor sagging, vertical and horizontal angular deviations, alignment shifts, tilts, and ground subsidence as rescue operations continue," City Hall said.
A police sniffer dog deployed to help in a search and rescue mission at the site where a 16-storey building collapsed in South C.
Photo credit: Billy Ogada| Nation Media Group
A police sniffer dog deployed to help in a search and rescue mission at the site where a 16-storey building collapsed in South C.
Photo credit: Billy Ogada| Nation Media Group
Four people are feared trapped in the collapsed building, William Sifuna, head of rescue operations at the site said.
Tight security as police cordon off roads leading to the site where a 16-floor building under construction in South C collapsed on January 2, 2025.
Photo credit: Billy Ogada| Nation Media Group
Search and rescue operations continue in South C, where a 16-story building under construction collapsed on January 2nd, 2025.
Photo credit: Billy Ogada| Nation Media Group
Search and rescue operations continue in South C, where a 16-story building under construction collapsed on January 2nd, 2025.
Photo credit: Billy Ogada| Nation Media Group
Kenya Red Cross personnel are present on site where a 16-storey building under construction in South C collapsed on January 2, 2025.
Photo credit: Billy Ogada| Nation Media Group
Curious Onlookers at the site where a 16-storey building under construction collapsed.
Photo credit: Billy Ogada| Nation Media Group
Curious Onlookers at the site where a 16-storey building under construction collapsed.
Photo credit: Billy Ogada| Nation Media Group
