Six people were left injured on Wednesday morning after a building that was still under construction collapsed at the busy junction of Racecourse and Kirinyaga Road in Nairobi’s central business district.
The incident caused panic among workers and people operating businesses nearby as the structure suddenly came down.
According to witnesses at the scene, a loud bang was heard moments before the building fell. Within seconds, dust and debris filled the air as parts of the structure crumbled to the ground. Pieces of concrete and metal were scattered across the site, forcing people in the area to run for safety.
Emergency teams responded quickly after receiving reports of the collapse. The Kenya Red Cross confirmed that 12 people were rescued from the debris.
Some of those rescued sustained injuries and were attended to at the scene before being taken to hospital for further treatment.
However, the full extent of the injuries and the total damage caused by the collapse are still being assessed.Rescue teams carefully searched through the rubble to ensure no one was trapped underneath.
Their main focus was to account for all workers who had been at the construction site at the time of the incident.
Police officers also arrived and immediately cordoned off the area to control the crowd and prevent more injuries.
Onlookers gathered from different parts of the central business district, but officers kept them at a safe distance as the rescue operation continued.
Authorities have launched investigations to determine the cause of the collapse. At the moment, it is not clear whether the incident was linked to structural weaknesses, poor workmanship, or failure to follow construction guidelines.
Officials say more details will be provided once experts complete their assessment.
The incident has once again raised concerns about the increasing number of building collapses reported in Kenya, especially in major towns. Many Kenyans are now calling for stricter inspections of construction sites and stronger action against developers who fail to follow safety standards.
There is growing pressure on relevant authorities to ensure that buildings meet required regulations before and during construction to prevent similar incidents in the future.
