On Friday afternoon, in Eastleigh, a very densely populated commercial neighborhood in eastern Nairobi, a building of up to 18 floors under construction came down. According to footage released, the ground floor gave way first, and then the rest of the structure collapsed amid a huge cloud of dust.
All that remained of the tower were concrete floors piled on top of one another. Rescuers are cutting through metal with heavy machinery to make their way in, and the work is slow: the site is hemmed in by tall buildings, and access is difficult.
The 67 workers who were inside were accounted for: 66 escaped unharmed and one was injured, according to Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen. Seven people who were in the shops on the ground floor and in the basement were reported missing. This Sunday, police confirmed that at least four had been rescued and were receiving medical care at the hospital.
