The key facts
- An eight-storey building under construction collapsed in Mlolongo near Nairobi
- Six people were killed, five were rescued alive, and the search continues
- This is the third major collapse in a short period: three weeks ago eight people died in Eastleigh
Collapse in Mlolongo
On Friday, an eight-storey building under construction collapsed in the Mlolongo area, about 20 kilometers southeast of Nairobi. According to the Nairobi County emergency and rescue service, at least six people were killed. Five were pulled alive from the rubble and taken to hospital. Rescue operations were ongoing: the exact number of workers on the site at the time of the collapse was still being established, and teams were combing through the debris in search of possible people still trapped underneath.
Cause unknown, safety concerns intensify
The cause of the collapse had not been determined at the time of publication, and the identities of the dead were not disclosed. The incident came just three weeks after an under-construction 15-storey building collapsed in the Eastleigh area of Nairobi, killing eight people. The new tragedy intensified discussion in Kenya about construction safety and compliance with building codes, where structural failures have repeatedly led to loss of life. Authorities faced demands to strengthen inspections, ensure compliance with standards, and hold developers accountable for unsafe buildings.
