Four Rescued from Nairobi Building Collapse as Families Grow Desperate Amid Rising Missing Count

NAIROBI, Kenya — The number of individuals rescued from the rubble of a collapsed 18-story building in Kenya’s capital has climbed to four, while dozens remain unaccounted for, with some reportedly communicating with relatives from beneath the debris.

Rescue efforts continued through a third night on Sunday, as family members expressed growing despair over the fate of those still trapped.

The high-rise came crashing down on Friday along a bustling commercial street in central Nairobi, ensnaring construction workers and occupants of illegally operated shops located in the structure’s basement and ground levels.

Emergency responders combed through layers of concrete and steel throughout Sunday, successfully extracting two additional survivors, raising the total number of rescued individuals to four.

Among those pulled from the wreckage was Victor Onyango, a tailor who was discovered on Saturday and later discharged from the hospital alongside fellow survivor Zaynaba Mohammed, a shop owner who had been trapped since Friday night.

“On Saturday morning, I noticed some light filtering through the rubble, and I knew it was rescuers,” Onyango told journalists on Sunday. “When they extracted me, I immediately told them there was a woman trapped behind the next pile of debris. She was saved shortly after myself.”

Both survivors received medical treatment but were released in stable condition.

All week, anxious relatives have gathered at the scene hoping for updates. Initial estimates from the interior minister placed seven people inside the collapsed structure, but the Kenya Red Cross reported on Sunday that missing persons reports had surged to 47.

Peter Barasa, speaking on behalf of a family with a loved one still unaccounted for, shared his dwindling optimism: “This will be the third day without food and water for him.”

Nairobi County Governor Johnson Sakaja used the tragedy to call for stronger enforcement against violations of building codes, describing existing penalties as insufficient deterrents for developers whose actions endanger public safety.

Authorities confirmed that the deceased owner of the collapsed building had entered into a joint ownership agreement with another party. Despite repeated statements indicating the structure lacked proper construction permits and authorization to operate commercial spaces in its lower floors, no arrests have yet been announced.

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