An elderly woman has been rescued from the rubble of a collapsed building in Eastleigh, Nairobi, and taken to hospital, where she is reported to be out of danger, according to police.
Rescue teams are also searching for another woman after reportedly hearing her voice beneath the rubble, as emergency operations continue at the scene.
Nairobi police boss Mohamed Issa condemned the crowds gathering at the scene, as the police force intensified the efforts to dipserse crowds using teargas .
“People should go home. There is no curiosity here. This is a disaster, and give people mandated space to do their job. There could even be a secondary disaster as the collapsed building is leaning on another building,” Mohamed said.
Mohamed further said more machinery was expected to arrive to support the ongoing rescue efforts, adding that the immediate priority was to save lives.
“We got one voice of a lady. We are here to rescue her. Hopefully, we will find her. Right now, we are bothered with rescue efforts. We are here to save lives first; other issues will follow,” he said.
He added that investigations into the collapse were ongoing and that anyone found culpable would be held accountable in accordance with the law.
The building collapsed at around 1pm on Friday, October 23, 2026, along Yusuf Haji Avenue, Ninth Street, next to Day to Day Supermarket in Eastleigh.
The structure reportedly housed rental units and shops, with construction work said to have been ongoing at the time of the collapse.
The Kenya Red Cross confirmed the incident in a social media update, saying its response teams were heading to the scene.
“A building has collapsed along Yusuf Haji Avenue on Ninth Street. Kenya Red Cross response teams are en route to the scene,” the organisation said.
The incident occurred in Eastleigh, one of Nairobi’s busy commercial centres, raising concerns about the safety of construction workers, occupants, traders and passers-by who may have been in or near the building when it came down.
Further details on the number of people who may remain trapped, the full extent of casualties and the cause of the collapse were yet to be confirmed as rescue operations continued.
The building, located along Yusuf Avenue next to Day to Day Supermarket on 9th street , reportedly housed rental units and shops, with construction work said to have been ongoing when it collapsed at around 1pm.
The Kenya Red Cross confirmed the incident in a social media update, saying its response teams were heading to the scene.
“A building has collapsed along Yusuf Haji Avenue on Ninth Street. Kenya Red Cross response teams are en route to the scene,” the organisation said.
Nairobi police boss Issa Mohamed said authorities were still gathering information about the incident as emergency teams rushed to the scene.
Police officers who arrived at the scene also helped disperse the crowds that had gathered at the scene to clear the way for emergency responders and allow rescue operations to proceed without interference.
The incident occurred in Eastleigh, one of Nairobi’s busy commercial centres, at a time when traders, pedestrians and other members of the public were likely to be in the surrounding area.
The collapse has raised concerns about the safety of construction workers, occupants and passers-by who may have been inside or near the building when it came down.
The number of people trapped, possible casualties and the cause of the collapse had not been confirmed by the time of publication.
Emergency responders were continuing their efforts at the scene, with further details expected as authorities establish what happened.
