Many families were feared trapped under the rubble after an eight-storey building collapsed in Kahawa West, a densely populated neighbourhood north of Nairobi, Kenya, on Sunday.
The building had been condemned for demolition, according to Nairobi county officials.
The Kenya Red Cross confirmed the fears of trapped residents on X, while Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja mentioned that one woman standing outside the building was injured but stable.
He added, “Casualties were expected to be minimal,” and evacuation efforts were underway for nearby residents.
According to the BBC, onlookers flocked to the scene, located between high-rise buildings and a church. Catherine Wanjiku, a former resident, narrowly escaped the tragedy.
“I don’t feel good because I moved out yesterday. I am shaky, I am stressed. I have friends whose belongings have been destroyed in there,” the 33-year-old said.
A Nairobi county document from October 16 revealed that the building had been constructed and occupied without the required approvals.
Tenants were ordered to vacate within two weeks, but the building collapsed before the deadline.
Kenya has seen a rise in building collapses, often due to poor construction and lax enforcement of regulations.
In September 2022, five people were killed when a six-storey building fell outside Nairobi, and in April 2016, 49 people died in a similar incident after heavy rains caused structural failures.
The ongoing construction boom in Kenya, marred by corruption, has enabled contractors to bypass safety measures, putting more lives at risk.