At least six people have died and three others rescued following the partial collapse of a building under construction along the SGR Syokimau access road in Nairobi County.
The building caved in on Friday morning while construction workers were carrying out concreting works on the ninth floor, officials said.
Preliminary reports indicate that the incident occurred following a reported failure of the formwork, causing part of the structure to collapse.
Witnesses said three bodies were retrieved during the initial rescue operations. Three additional bodies, all believed to be those of middle-aged men, were later recovered from the debris, bringing the confirmed death toll to six.
The Kenya Red Cross said three people were rescued and rushed to hospital for treatment.
The exact number of workers who were at the construction site when the building collapsed was yet to be established.
Search and rescue teams were deployed to the scene and were combing through the debris for anyone who might still be trapped.
The Nairobi City County Fire team and the Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) team were among the emergency responders at the site.
Police urged members of the public and motorists using Mombasa Road near the SGR Terminus to keep away from the affected area to allow rescue operations to proceed without interruption.
“We urge members of the public and motorists plying Mombasa Road near the SGR Terminus to keep clear of the immediate incident perimeter,” police said.
Authorities are yet to establish the full circumstances surrounding the collapse, including whether more people could be trapped beneath the debris.
The identities of the deceased had also not been released by the time of publication.
The incident has renewed concerns over construction safety and compliance with structural engineering standards, particularly during the construction of high-rise buildings.
It comes weeks after an 18-storey building collapsed in Nairobi’s Eastleigh area, killing eight people.
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