A multi-storey building under construction collapsed in Nairobi, Kenya, on Friday, October 23, 2026, sending enormous clouds of dust across a busy commercial district and triggering a desperate search for people feared trapped beneath the rubble.
The collapse occurred at approximately 1:40 pm along 9th Street in the densely populated Eastleigh neighbourhood.
Dramatic footage circulating on social media captured the terrifying moment the structure suddenly gave way, with concrete floors crashing down in seconds as pedestrians scrambled for safety.
Kenya’s Interior Minister, Kipchumba Murkomen, confirmed that seven people had been reported missing following the disaster.
According to the minister, 67 construction workers were at the site when the building collapsed. Sixty-six escaped without injury, while one was injured and taken to hospital.
Authorities also confirmed that 11 shops on the building’s ground floor and basement were occupied despite construction work continuing on the upper levels.
The Kenya Red Cross reported that two injured people had been rescued and taken to hospital, while 26 people previously reported missing had been located and accounted for.
Rescue teams, supported by excavators, sniffer dogs and emergency personnel, continued searching through the wreckage as fears grew for those still missing.
Witnesses described hearing warnings and seeing people fleeing moments before the structure collapsed. One construction worker told reporters he narrowly escaped after hearing colleagues shouting that the building was coming down.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja revealed that although the building had received construction approval, it did not have an occupation certificate permitting businesses to operate inside.
Reports of cracks appearing before the collapse have also raised serious questions about whether warning signs were overlooked.
Police used tear gas to disperse crowds near the scene as emergency workers struggled to access the wreckage.
Authorities have promised an investigation into the collapse and warned that anyone found responsible for negligence could face legal action.
The cause of the disaster remains under investigation, and the full extent of casualties has not been established.
