Survivors recount their escape from the collapsed building in Eastleigh.
Workers describe cracks, shaking and blinding dust as rescue teams search for seven missing people.
Survivors of the Eastleigh building collapse have described their desperate escape as seven people remain missing. Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said all 67 construction workers were accounted for, with one receiving hospital treatment.
The multi-storey building stood at 9th Street and First Avenue and was still under construction. However, shops on the ground floor and in the basement had already opened for business.
Workers describe warnings before Eastleigh building collapse
Worker Alexander Mugure said workers spotted a crack in one of the main structural columns shortly before the collapse. They then shouted warnings to each other, prompting many people to rush outside.
Mugure estimated that about 70 workers were on site when the building came down. Meanwhile, another survivor described escaping from the sixth floor, with dust covering his body.
In a video account, that worker expressed fears that many colleagues remained trapped inside. Murkomen, however, confirmed that all construction workers had been accounted for: 66 escaped uninjured and one was in hospital.
Other workers said they heard and felt the structure shaking before it fell. As debris came down, thick dust spread through the area and made it difficult to see.
Some survivors said they used their phone torches to see people standing next to them. Workers on lower floors ran outside, while those higher up tried to escape the falling debris.
Rescuers search for seven missing people
The collapse left a large pile of rubble and raised fears for people inside the operating shops. Murkomen said seven people remained missing, believed to have been in the shops or basement.
Teams from the Kenya Red Cross, Kenya Defence Forces, police and Nairobi County are searching the rubble alongside other agencies. Rescuers have reportedly made contact with some of those missing.
The survivors’ initial fears centred on colleagues still inside the building. However, the official account distinguishes the workers from the seven people who remain unaccounted for.
Police investigate possible criminal negligence
Police Commander Issa Mohamud said investigators were examining possible criminal negligence in connection with the collapse. The owner and officials who approved construction could face action if investigators find them responsible.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja also said the building did not comply with construction guidelines.
