Nairobi Governor Blames Missing Permits for Eastleigh Collapse
One victim has been recovered from the rubble of an 18-story building in Kenya's capital, while 16 individuals remain missing.
By Sofia Ramirez ·
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja stated on Thursday that the 18-story building in the Eastleigh commercial district lacked required construction approvals. The structure was under construction when it collapsed last Friday, trapping workers and residents inside.
Search teams recovered the first body on Friday. The victim, a woman, was found badly mutilated beneath the heavy concrete and steel of the collapsed floors. Sixteen people are still missing from the site.
Sakaja noted that regulations require buildings to undergo inspection and obtain an occupation certificate before use. He added that renting out completed shops on the ground and basement floors was illegal because the necessary checks had not been performed.
Families of missing persons have camped at the collapse site for a week. Many expressed doubt about survival after the critical 72-hour window passed, noting that no other survivors had been pulled from the debris since Saturday.
Four individuals rescued earlier in the search recounted being trapped under the structure. Authorities deployed thermal imaging equipment provided by a Chinese team earlier this week to locate victims.
Officials said the thermal equipment detected two human beings beneath the rubble. The search continues in the busy Eastleigh area as crews work through the remains of the multistory building.
