One body retrieved from Eastleigh building collapse site

The recovery marks a grim development in the rescue operation, which has been ongoing since Friday, October 23, when the multi-storey building collapsed along 9th Street.

The operation has faced significant challenges as emergency teams work to clear the remaining debris and access the lower sections of the building, where people are believed to have been trapped.

The latest development comes after rescue teams reported clearing approximately 80 per cent of the debris, with efforts focused on reaching the basement.

On Thursday, authorities said 16 people remained unaccounted for following a verification exercise involving the Kenya Red Cross and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).

Nairobi North County Commissioner Simon Osumba said phone data had placed nine of the missing persons at the site shortly before the building collapsed, while authorities were still seeking information in four other cases. Three families had yet to provide phone numbers needed to facilitate tracing.

The operation had earlier raised hopes of further rescues after specialised equipment brought in detected possible signs of life beneath the rubble.

National Disaster Management Unit Director Dr. Duncan Ochieng said rescue teams were working to reach the locations where the signals had been detected.

The collapse also triggered investigations into the circumstances surrounding the construction of the building, with detectives questioning one of the developers and officials from Nairobi County, the National Building Inspectorate and the National Construction Authority.

The Director of Public Prosecutions has directed the DCI to investigate possible acts of omission by public officials, developers and construction professionals involved in the project.

The building collapsed at around 1pm on October 23 while still under construction, triggering a multi-agency rescue operation involving the National Disaster Management Unit, Kenya Red Cross, Nairobi County emergency teams, security agencies and other responders.

The recovery operation is ongoing.