At least six people have died after an eight-storey building under construction collapsed along Mombasa Road near the Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) Terminus on Friday, November 13, triggering an emergency rescue operation.
The tragic incident occurred at approximately 9:52am when part of the building suddenly gave way, bringing down sections of the structure and trapping several construction workers beneath the rubble.
Emergency response teams rushed to the scene following reports of the collapse, with Nairobi City County firefighters and Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) personnel leading efforts to locate and retrieve those trapped.
Preliminary reports indicated that six people had lost their lives, while five others were rescued alive and rushed to hospital for medical attention.
Rescue teams recovered several bodies from the debris as the search continued for possible survivors.
The Kenya Red Cross also joined the operation, working alongside county emergency personnel and other responders to assist those affected by the disaster.
Police officers were equally present at the scene as authorities coordinated rescue efforts and began establishing the circumstances surrounding the collapse.
The incident has once again raised concerns about construction safety in Nairobi, particularly the enforcement of building regulations and the quality of supervision on major development projects.
It comes barely three weeks after another devastating building collapse in Nairobi’s Eastleigh neighbourhood on October 23, when an 18-storey building under construction came crashing down along 9th Street.
The Eastleigh disaster claimed eight lives, while four people were rescued alive following an extensive search and rescue operation.
The incident attracted widespread public attention, with questions emerging over the approvals granted to the project and whether the construction had complied with the required safety standards.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja subsequently raised concerns about the development, indicating that the building did not have the necessary county construction approvals.
The latest tragedy along Mombasa Road is therefore likely to intensify scrutiny of developers and government agencies responsible for approving and monitoring construction projects.
Building collapses have remained a major concern in Kenya’s rapidly expanding urban centres, with poor workmanship, substandard construction materials, inadequate supervision and structural design failures frequently cited among the factors that can contribute to such disasters.
Meanwhile, motorists and members of the public have been urged to exercise caution around the affected section of Mombasa Road to allow emergency responders to continue with their operations.
Authorities are expected to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident, including the building’s structural integrity, construction approvals and compliance with safety regulations.
The latest collapse has renewed calls for stricter inspections and accountability in the construction industry, with growing concerns over the safety of workers and residents as Nairobi continues to experience rapid urban expansion.
As rescue and recovery efforts continue, the tragedy has left fresh questions about what more needs to be done to prevent construction-related disasters and protect lives.
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