Multi agency teams joined in the search and rescue mission at a site where a 16-storey building collapsed in South C, Nairobi.
At least one person was injured after the 16-storey building under construction collapsed, police said.
The military had been called to the site to help in the clearing of the rubble as part of the search and rescue mission.
Area Member of County Assembly Abass Khalif issued a statement and called on the Nairobi City County officials to take responsibility for the tragedy.
He said they had ordered review of all approved construction as part of efforts to address such future incidents.
“The collapse of the 16-storey building in South C, Nairobi, is a devastating tragedy that has resulted in loss of life and property. My heart goes out to the victims and their families during this difficult time.”
“I have ordered a thorough investigation to determine the exact cause, but preliminary findings point to negligence and oversight failures by the Nairobi City County’s Urban Planning Department,” he said.
He said the personnel at the planning, enforcement, development control, architects, surveyors and inspection must be held to account over the incident.
He added they had raised the issue of approval and enforcement on the construction of structures in the city but this landed on deaf ears.
Police said they suspect at least one person was killed in the incident that happened at dawn on January 2, 2025. The guards on duty were missing and efforts to trace them were ongoing.
The building was under construction at the time of the incident but there were no workers on site then.
Police who responded to the scene said they had not located the guards who were on duty and efforts to account for them were being made.
Langata police boss Pius Mwanthi said multi agency teams had been deployed to the scene to start digging through to find out if there are casualties there.
He said one man who they believe was a pedestrian was injured and rushed to the hospital.
The building collapsed next to others which are also under construction. It damaged the one adjacent to it.
A guard in the area told police he heard a bang and saw dust only to realise the house was flat.
They rushed to the scene and rescued one injured man to the hospital.
Police and Nairobi City County officials said the owner and the contractor of the structure were being sought for grilling. Authorities wanted to establish if the construction followed the laid down rules.
It is not clear what caused the collapse of the structure. It is however not the first one to collapse while under construction.
Dozens such incidents in the past have left many dead and injured. The incidents are still under probe amid complaints the owners had been allowed to reconstruct them with no action.
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