At least six workers have been killed after a building under construction partially collapsed along the Syokimau SGR access road in Nairobi county.
The incident occurred during concreting works on the ninth floor after a reported failure of the formwork, causing part of the structure to cave in, police said.
Nairobi police boss Issa Mohamud said three bodies were retrieved during initial morning operations, with three more middle-aged men subsequently recovered from the debris.
He said five other workers had been rescued and rushed to nearby hospitals, while the exact number of people who were at the construction site when the building collapsed was still being established.
“Search and rescue teams are actively combing the debris to locate any individuals who may remain trapped,” Mohamud said.
The Nairobi City County Fire team and Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) teams were deployed to the scene as investigations into the incident commenced.
Mohamud urged members of the public and motorists using Mombasa Road near the SGR Terminus to keep away from the affected area to allow emergency teams to conduct rescue operations.
The identities of the victims and the full extent of the damage were yet to be established.
The latest incident comes weeks after an 18-storey building collapsed in Eastleigh, Nairobi, killing eight people.
The building, which was also under construction, came down along 9th Street on October 23, trapping several people beneath tonnes of concrete and debris.
Rescue operations have faced significant challenges as emergency teams work to clear the rubble and reach the lower sections of the structure.
Investigations into the Eastleigh collapse have also drawn scrutiny from multiple government agencies, with detectives questioning one of the developers alongside officials from Nairobi County, the National Building Inspectorate and the National Construction Authority.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) directed the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to investigate possible negligence, omissions or misconduct by public officials, developers and construction professionals involved in the project.
The DPP clarified that Nairobi City County Government had not forwarded any inquiry file to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) concerning alleged malpractices linked to the developer, construction professionals or county officials.
The investigations are expected to establish whether acts or omissions by county officials, the developer, contractors or other professionals involved in the planning, approval, supervision and construction contributed to the collapse.
Upon completion, the DCI is expected to submit its inquiry file to the ODPP for independent review and further directions.
The prosecution agency said it would take appropriate action against anyone found criminally culpable, provided sufficient evidence was established, regardless of their position or status.
The latest Syokimau collapse is likely to renew scrutiny of construction safety standards, regulatory oversight and accountability among developers and government agencies.
