Sixteen people remain missing following the collapse of a 16-storey building in Nairobi, with rescue teams continuing operations to locate possible survivors and recover bodies.
Nairobi North County Commissioner Simon Osumba said authorities had confirmed that nine of the 16 missing people were at the scene of the collapse.
“We have been able to continue with the work, but we have not managed to rescue anyone so far,” Osumba said.
He added that, at the request of the area Member of Parliament, part of the affected area had been reopened to allow business owners to resume operations as authorities continued to strengthen security around the scene.
Osumba said teams were also continuing to support affected families as the operation progressed.
Dr Duncan Ochieng’, Director of the National Disaster Management Unit (NDMU), said rescuers were racing against time to find anyone who might still be alive and recover bodies from the rubble.
He said the sewer-related challenge at the site had been addressed, with operations estimated to be about 80 per cent complete.
Specialised equipment had been deployed to help detect signs of life, although Ochieng’ said authorities could not confirm whether those suspected to be trapped were still alive, given the time that had elapsed since the collapse.
He described the incident as unprecedented in Kenya, saying the country had not previously experienced the collapse of a 16-storey building.
Ochieng’ said rescue teams would continue working to recover the bodies of those believed to be trapped if they were no longer alive.
