Nairobi Collapse: First Victim Recovered After Week of Search
A woman's body was found in the rubble of an 18-story building, while 16 others remain missing and Chinese thermal sensors detect two more signatures.
By Lina Lewis ·
Rescue workers pulled the body of a woman from the rubble of an 18-story building in Nairobi on Friday, marking the first confirmed fatality in the collapse that occurred one week prior. The victim had been crushed by heavy concrete and steel in the Eastleigh commercial district. Sixteen people remain unaccounted for as search efforts continue.
The structure was under construction when it fell on the previous Friday. Johnson Sakaja, the Governor of Nairobi, stated that the building lacked the necessary construction approvals. He noted that renting the finished units on the ground floor and basement levels was illegal because the building had not passed final inspection or received a certificate of occupancy.
Families of the missing have camped at the site for seven days. While some initially held out for news of survivors, many began to lose hope after the critical 72-hour window passed. They expressed growing doubt that anyone could survive more than three days trapped under the debris.
Since Saturday, no additional survivors have been extracted from the ruins. Four individuals were previously rescued and described their traumatic experiences of being trapped beneath the structure. Authorities are now focusing on locating the remaining missing persons.
In the early part of this week, a Chinese team deployed thermal imaging technology to assist in the search. Officials reported that the equipment detected the thermal signatures of two humans beneath the rubble. These readings have directed the focus of the ongoing excavation efforts.
The search operation involves clearing heavy concrete and steel from the Eastleigh zone. The use of specialized thermal sensors aims to identify living victims who may still be trapped in air pockets within the debris field.
