A 16-storey building under construction collapsed on Friday in Nairobi’s South C estate, causing panic among residents.
The incident occurred on January 2 in the Shopping Centre area of South C, drawing immediate attention from residents, workers, and passersby. Thick dust clouds rose into the air as debris scattered across nearby streets, forcing people in surrounding homes and businesses to flee the area in fear.
Emergency responders were quickly dispatched to the scene, although authorities had not confirmed by the time of publishing whether anyone had been trapped under the rubble or injured. The situation remained tense as search and rescue efforts got underway amid concerns over possible casualties.
The Kenya Red Cross confirmed that a multi-agency response team had been deployed immediately after the collapse. According to the organisation, the team was tasked with managing the emergency, conducting search-and-rescue operations, and securing the affected area to prevent further danger.
“The area has been cordoned off as the National Disaster Management Unit, Nairobi City County, the National Police Service, and the Kenya Red Cross continue search and rescue operations,” the Red Cross said in a statement.
Images from the scene showed extensive debris from the collapsed multi-storey structure, which some reports described as a 19-storey building still under construction. The collapse disrupted movement in the area and heightened fears among residents, many of whom gathered at a distance to watch the response unfold.
At the time of publishing, neither the Nairobi County Government, the national government, nor the National Construction Authority (NCA) had issued an official statement explaining the cause of the collapse or the status of the construction project.
The incident comes less than a month after the NCA warned the public to remain vigilant following the appearance of visible cracks in a 13-storey building under construction along Peponi Road in Nairobi’s Westlands area. On December 17, the authority said the building was at risk of collapse due to structural failures and confirmed that a quality assurance team had been sent to carry out compliance checks.
Building collapses at construction sites have become increasingly common in Nairobi, particularly in Westlands. On July 31 last year, a wall collapsed at a construction site along 147 Rhapta Road, injuring several workers. Reports at the time indicated the site had multiple safety violations and lacked visible safety compliance measures.
Earlier in February, one person died when a three-storey building under construction collapsed on Third Avenue in Parklands. Witnesses said the incident happened around 5:20pm after most workers had left, trapping a man who later succumbed to his injuries.