Four people trapped after Nairobi building collapses, rescue operations ongoing

Rescue operations are ongoing in Nairobi, after the Friday collapse of a multi-storey building under construction left at least four people trapped, according to Kenyan authorities.

The building was in an area of the capital known as South C, according to the Kenya Red Cross, which said in a statement that a multi-agency response team was at the scene "managing the situation."

Geoffrey Ruku, the cabinet secretary for the ministry of public service, told local media that two watchmen and two pedestrians remain under the rubble.

He also said that a taxi driver who survived the collapse was admitted to a nearby hospital and provided authorities with critical information.

"The taxi driver was waiting to get a customer and there were two pedestrians who were standing there, and he saw them getting trapped when this building was coming down," he said.

Safia Ali Aden, the sister of one of the trapped watchmen, said her brother made a phone call to her from inside the collapsed building.

"Since last night from 4:30 a.m., he is trapped there and the county government is taking this thing slowly and as a family, we are worried. So we need this thing to be hurried so that we can have our family, our family member back," she said.

Ruku said President William Ruto has been briefed on the incident. Authorities are investigating the cause of the incident.

Ruku said the building had been approved for a maximum of 12 floors but had already reached 14 floors at the time of collapse. "At the preliminary investigations, it is expected that the building has collapsed because of column overload," Ruku explained.

The Kenya Red Cross said a building adjacent to the scene of Friday’s event was under inspection "after showing signs of potential collapse."

Building collapses are common in Nairobi, where housing is in high demand and unscrupulous developers often bypass regulations or simply violate building codes.

After eight buildings collapsed and killed 15 people in Kenya in 2015, the presidency ordered an audit of buildings across the country to see if they were up to code.

The National Construction Authority found that 58% of the buildings in Nairobi were unfit for habitation.