Four injured as former Club Avenida building collapses during night demolition
At least four people were injured after a building that formerly housed Club Avenida collapsed during demolition along Moi Avenue in Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD) on Friday night.
Emergency responders and police officers rushed to the scene as rescue operations continued following the collapse.
Police said four people were injured. They were all working at the site when the incident happened at about 2 am.
Nairobi County official Geoffrey Mosiria said the incident occurred at night when human traffic along the busy street was minimal, potentially preventing further casualties.
Mosiria called on county engineers to conduct a thorough investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the collapse.
He said the probe should determine the cause of the incident, establish whether qualified professionals supervised the demolition and verify whether the necessary county approvals had been obtained.
“I call upon our county engineers to conduct a thorough investigation into this specific demolition to establish the cause of the collapse, determine whether qualified experts were involved to guide the demolition, and verify whether all the necessary demolition approvals had been obtained,” Mosiria said.
He also urged developers to comply with county regulations governing construction and demolition works, warning of the importance of prioritising public safety.
“I appeal to all developers to strictly comply with county laws during construction and demolition and work closely with county engineers to ensure safety and protect lives,” he added.
The collapse raised fresh concerns over safety standards and regulatory compliance during demolition works in Nairobi’s busy commercial district.
Authorities were expected to establish the full circumstances of the incident as rescue operations continued.
