Eleven people sought beneath rubble after Nairobi building collapse
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Citizen Digital
Eleven people are believed to remain trapped beneath the rubble of an 18-storey building that collapsed in Eastleigh, Nairobi, as rescuers clear the remaining 10% of the site. Two additional excavators have joined the search, which is entering its final phase, Citizen Digital reports.
Rescuers are still searching for 11 people beneath the rubble of an 18-storey building that collapsed in Nairobi’s Eastleigh neighbourhood ten days ago. The operation is focused on clearing the remaining 10% of the debris, according to Citizen Digital.
Two additional excavators have been deployed, bringing the number of machines involved to three. The Kenya Red Cross says four people previously reported missing have been reunited with their families. Teams from the Kenya Defence Forces and the National Youth Service are helping clear the rubble.
Families have been waiting at the site since the collapse, including those of the 11 people still being sought. Judith Cherubet, a relative of one of the victims, says she is staying near the site in the hope of finding her family member. Nearby businesses have also been disrupted: businessman Muhidin Abdi says his business has been operating at a reduced pace for ten days and that he still has to pay rent and his employees.
Kamukunji MP Yusuf Hassan said the collapse had prompted an investigation into the building’s structural integrity and management. The investigation follows reports that unapproved plans were implicated in the Nairobi collapse. An unlicensed contractor is also the subject of the investigation into the collapsed building.
