Building under construction collapses in Nairobi, several feared trapped

A multi-storey building under construction collapsed on Friday afternoon in Nairobi's Eastleigh district, with several people feared trapped under the rubble and Kenya Red Cross and multi-agency teams searching the site.

Why it matters: No casualties had been confirmed hours after the collapse, and reports differed on the building's height and on whether its lower floors were occupied while construction continued above them, questions that will decide the scale of the rescue and the inquiry that follows.

Data as of Kenyan media reports of October 23, 2026 (Daily Nation and The Star reporting carried in full-text summaries, People Daily and Radio47 read in full), reporting the Kenya Red Cross for the location on Yusuf Haji Avenue, 9th Street, Eastleigh and the multi-agency search and rescue operation; Deutsche Welle carried the collapse the same afternoon. Reports of the building's height differ (about 10 floors per Nairobi's police commander, 14 and 18 storeys in other local reports) and no trapped, injured or killed count and no cause had been confirmed as of the reports. Developing item.

A multi-storey building under construction collapsed at about 1 p.m. local time on Friday along Yusuf Haji Avenue on 9th Street in Nairobi’s Eastleigh district, next to the Day to Day Supermarket, and several people are feared trapped under the rubble, Kenyan media reported. The Kenya Red Cross said its Nairobi response team had been dispatched and was working alongside multi-agency partners on search and rescue, and police fired tear gas to clear crowds that had blocked roads and kept emergency vehicles from reaching the site. Reports of the building’s height differ, with Nairobi police commander Issa Mohamed describing a structure of about 10 floors while other local reports put it at 14 or 18 storeys, and its lower floors were reported to have been occupied by shops and rental units while construction continued above. Officials had released no number for people trapped, injured or killed, and no cause, as of the latest reports.

Building under construction collapses in Nairobi, several feared trapped

Sources