Teams recover woman’s body as Eastleigh building collapse rescue enters eighth day
The search for survivors at the site of the collapsed building in Eastleigh, Nairobi, turned tragic on Friday after rescue workers recovered the body of a woman, eight days after the multi-storey structure came crashing down. The building, which was still under construction, collapsed along 9th Street on October 23, trapping several people beneath tonnes [...] The post Teams recover woman’s body…
Eight days after a multi-story building in Eastleigh, Nairobi, collapsed, rescue teams recovered the body of a woman on Friday, marking a somber conclusion to an ongoing rescue operation. The structure, still under construction, came crashing down on October 23, trapping residents beneath a mountain of concrete and debris. Emergency crews have been working relentlessly, primarily targeting the basement where some of the missing individuals are believed to have been confined.
Progress has been mixed as teams clear debris, now with 85 percent removed, focusing on accessing the remaining sections of the building. Officials disclosed that 16 people remain unaccounted for, based on mobile phone data indicating nine missing individuals were present in the building prior to its collapse. Authorities are seeking additional information on four other cases, while three families have yet to provide contact details for their missing loved ones.
Initial optimism of further rescues dwindled after no additional signs of life were detected. The tragedy has prompted investigations into potential breaches of construction regulations and building supervision lapses. Law enforcement has questioned a developer, alongside officials from Nairobi County, the National Building Inspectorate, and the National Construction Authority, as they probe the incident's causes.
The Director of Public Prosecutions has instructed the Kenya Police to conduct a criminal investigation into possible negligence, omissions, or misconduct by those involved in the project. The inquiry will explore whether the actions or failures of Nairobi County officials, the private developer, contractors, or other professionals played a role in the collapse.
The findings will be presented to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for further review and potential prosecution, irrespective of the individuals' status or position. Concurrently, the public debate over accountability for the recurring building collapses in Nairobi has intensified, with Governor Johnson Sakaja accusing government agencies of mishandling such cases.
However, government authorities deny these claims, fueling further scrutiny of the roles played by county authorities, national agencies, developers, and construction professionals in ensuring building safety.
Written by urgent.news from KahawaTungu's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
