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# Nairobi building collapse: 1 woman rescued in Eastleigh
- URL: https://bullquill.com/nairobi-eastleigh-building-collapse/
- Published: 2026-10-23T17:49:27.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T18:29:35.000Z
- Description: Rescuers in Nairobi's Eastleigh district are searching the rubble of an unfinished multi-storey building that collapsed on Friday afternoon. Governor Johnson Sakaja says people inside have been heard communicating; no casualty toll has been confirmed.
- Author: Rowan Ashby
- Tags: World, Trending, Nairobi, Kenya, Kenya Red Cross, Johnson Sakaja, National Construction Authority, #lang-en, #tr-nairobi-eastleigh-building-collapse

## Key takeaways

- An unfinished multi-storey building collapsed on 9th Street in Nairobi's Eastleigh district on Friday, 23 October 2026, at about 10:40 UTC (1:40 p.m. local time), according to the Kenya Red Cross.
- One woman has been pulled out alive. Officials have not confirmed how many people are trapped, injured or killed.
- Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja said rescuers had heard people communicating from inside the rubble.
- Sakaja said the building had county approval but no occupation certificate, even though shops reportedly operated on its lower floors.
- Police say they are looking for the building's owner, and a multi-agency team will investigate the cause.

## Nairobi building collapse: what happened in Eastleigh

The Nairobi building collapse in Eastleigh on Friday, 23 October 2026, has left people feared trapped under an unfinished multi-storey block. One woman has been pulled out alive. Governor Johnson Sakaja said rescuers heard people communicating from inside; no toll is confirmed.

The Kenya Red Cross said in a post on X that the building came down at about 1:40 p.m. local time (10:40 UTC). It placed the site on Yusuf Haji Avenue, next to a supermarket on 9th Street. Kenyan daily The Star gave an earlier time of about 1 p.m. local time (10:00 UTC). Amateur videos shared online, described by K24 Digital and News Central TV, show the structure falling suddenly and a thick cloud of dust spreading along the street.

At 17:15 UTC, Reuters reported that the Nairobi governor's office had said there were reports of people possibly trapped beneath the rubble.

## Rescue operation: who is on the scene

The Kenya Red Cross said its Nairobi team was dispatched to support the response. Kenyans.co.ke and Kahawatungu report that police, Kenya Defence Forces personnel, specialised police units and Nairobi City County emergency crews are also working at the site. Heavy machinery has been brought in to clear debris and open access routes.

Kenyans.co.ke and Kahawatungu both report that one woman was rescued alive. Governor Sakaja, who visited the scene, said rescuers had heard people communicating from inside the collapsed structure, according to Kenyans.co.ke. Reports from the scene say the building had a basement parking level. They describe a "pancake" collapse, in which floors fall flat onto one another.

The operation has been difficult. Large crowds gathered and blocked roads, and police fired tear gas to clear space for rescuers, according to K24 Digital and Al Jazeera. Witnesses quoted by K24 Digital also reported attempted looting of nearby shops and stones thrown at ambulances.

## What we know and what we don't know yet

Early reports disagree on basic details, which is common in the first hours after a collapse. The table below sets out the main figures and who reported them.

| Detail                            | Reported figure                 | Source                                               |
| --------------------------------- | ------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------- |
| Time of collapse                  | About 1:40 p.m. EAT (10:40 UTC) | Kenya Red Cross, via K24 Digital and News Central TV |
| Time of collapse                  | About 1 p.m. EAT (10:00 UTC)    | The Star                                             |
| Height                            | 12 storeys                      | Reuters                                              |
| Height                            | 13 storeys                      | K24 Digital                                          |
| Height                            | "About 10 floors"               | Nairobi police commander Issa Mohamed, via The Star  |
| Height                            | Up to 18 storeys                | The Star; Kenyans.co.ke (count from video)           |
| People rescued                    | 1 (a woman)                     | Kenyans.co.ke; Kahawatungu                           |
| People trapped, injured or killed | Not confirmed                   | All sources                                          |
| Cause                             | Not established                 | Nairobi police, via Kahawatungu                      |

**What we know:** the building was under construction. Kenyans.co.ke reports that shops and rental units were already operating on its lower floors. Sakaja said the structure had received an approval certificate from Nairobi County but had no occupation certificate, which would normally be required before anyone moves in. Nairobi Regional Police Commander Issa Mohamed said the owner had not presented himself to police, and Kenyans.co.ke reports that authorities are looking for him.

**What we don't know yet:** how many people were inside, how many are still trapped, and whether anyone has died. The cause has not been confirmed. Sakaja said "it appears like there was no professional on site", according to Kenyans.co.ke, but no official finding has been issued.

## Investigation and accountability

Kahawatungu reports that a multi-agency team will investigate the collapse. It includes the National Police Service, the National Construction Authority (NCA), the National Building Inspectorate, the Engineers Board of Kenya, the environment regulator NEMA and Nairobi City County. Police also plan to question City Hall officials about whether approval procedures were followed.

"Any person or group of people found culpable will be held fully accountable in accordance with the laws of Kenya," Mohamed said, as quoted by Kahawatungu. Embakasi East MP Babu Owino called for an independent inquiry into the county's building-approval system, according to Kenyans.co.ke.

## Background: why buildings keep collapsing in Nairobi

Building collapses have occurred repeatedly in Nairobi, where demand for housing is high. The Associated Press has reported that developers sometimes bypass regulations or violate building codes. An NCA audit cited by AP found that 58% of buildings in Nairobi were unfit for habitation.

The most recent major case was on 2 January 2026, when a tall building under construction collapsed in South C, Nairobi. AP reported at the time that at least four people were believed trapped. Kahawatungu reports that two people died in that collapse and that four people now face manslaughter charges, which they deny. Prosecutors allege that approval documents in that case were forged.

Eastleigh is one of Nairobi's busiest trading hubs, and the collapse caused heavy traffic congestion across the area on Friday. For more coverage of Kenya, see our reports on [the Ebola cases confirmed in Kenya and Nigeria](https://bullquill.com/ebola-spreads-kenya-nigeria-cases-confirmed/) and [the provisional suspension of Kenyan marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir](https://bullquill.com/peres-jepchirchir-provisionally-suspended-epo/). Our coverage of this week's [earthquake in Tibet that collapsed hundreds of homes](https://bullquill.com/tibet-earthquake-nagqu-baqen-kills-16/) is also available.

## What it means

For now the priority is the rescue. Survival chances for people trapped under rubble fall as time passes, and rescuers have reported contact with people inside. Unstable debris and the crowds at the scene make the work slower and more dangerous.

The bigger question is regulation. If the investigation confirms that people were using a building that had no occupation certificate, pressure on the NCA and Nairobi County to enforce inspections will grow. This is the second major collapse of an unfinished tower in Nairobi in less than ten months, which is likely to add to that pressure. Casualty figures and the investigation's first findings are the next details to watch.

## Frequently asked questions

### Where did the Nairobi building collapse happen?

On 9th Street, along Yusuf Haji Avenue, in Eastleigh, a busy commercial and residential district of Nairobi, Kenya, according to the Kenya Red Cross.

### How many people are trapped in the Eastleigh building collapse?

Authorities had not confirmed a number as of 17:30 UTC on 23 October 2026\. One woman was rescued alive, and Governor Johnson Sakaja said rescuers had heard people communicating from inside the rubble.

### Why did the Eastleigh building collapse?

The cause has not been confirmed. Police say a multi-agency team including the National Construction Authority will investigate. Governor Sakaja said the building had county approval but no occupation certificate.

## Sources

- [Reuters on X: Rescuers respond to building collapse in Nairobi (23 Oct 2026, 17:15 UTC)](https://x.com/Reuters/status/2113680602067280056?ref=bullquill.com)
- [Al Jazeera: Many feared trapped after Kenya building collapse](https://www.aljazeera.com/video/newsfeed/2026/10/23/many-feared-trapped-after-kenya-building-collapse?ref=bullquill.com)
- [The Star: Several feared trapped as 18-storey building collapses in Eastleigh](https://www.the-star.co.ke/news/2026-10-23-18-storey-building-collapses-in-eastleigh?ref=bullquill.com)
- [Kenyans.co.ke: Several feared trapped as building collapses in Nairobi's Eastleigh area](https://www.kenyans.co.ke/news/128803-several-feared-trapped-building-collapses-nairobis-eastleigh-area?ref=bullquill.com)
- [Kenyans.co.ke: Authorities launch manhunt for collapsed Eastleigh building owner as approval details emerge](https://www.kenyans.co.ke/news/128812-authorities-launch-manhunt-collapsed-eastleigh-building-owner-approval-details-emerge?ref=bullquill.com)
- [Kahawatungu: Woman rescued, many trapped as multi-storey building collapses in Eastleigh](https://kahawatungu.com/woman-rescued-many-trapped-as-multi-storey-building-collapses-in-eastleigh?ref=bullquill.com)
- [K24 Digital: Eastleigh building collapse, police lob tear gas to disperse crowd](https://k24.digital/news/eastleigh-building-collapse-police-lob-tear-gas-to-disperse-crowd?ref=bullquill.com)
- [News Central TV: Nairobi building collapse, what we know so far](https://newscentraltv.com/multi-storey-building-collapses-in-nairobi/?ref=bullquill.com)
- [AP via PBS NewsHour: A tall building under construction collapses in Nairobi, with 4 believed to be trapped (2 Jan 2026)](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/a-tall-building-under-construction-collapses-in-nairobi-with-4-believed-to-be-trapped?ref=bullquill.com)