Rescuers search for seven missing after Nairobi building collapse

A multi-agency rescue team continued searching the rubble of a collapsed building in Nairobi on Saturday, with seven people reported missing a day after the disaster.

Rescuers were clearing debris to reach the lower floors and basement, where shops had been operating.

The Kenya Red Cross, police, the Kenya Defence Forces, Nairobi County emergency teams and the National Youth Service were among the agencies involved.

Kipchumba Murkomen, interior cabinet secretary, said all 67 construction workers at the site had been accounted for, as 66 escaped unharmed, while one was injured and remained in stable condition in hospital.

Murkomen said 11 shops on the ground floor and in the basement were occupied when the building collapsed on Friday.

The Red Cross said two injured people had been taken to Kenyatta National Hospital and that 26 people previously reported missing had been traced. Families seeking information were asked to call the agency's hotline on 1199.

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja said rescuers were moving carefully through the debris toward the basement.

He said the county had approved a change of use for the property but had not approved the application for the proposed 15-story building and basement. The cause of the collapse has not been established.

Nairobi Regional Police Commander Issa Mohamud said the building's owner and anyone who authorized its construction could face charges if investigators find evidence of criminal negligence.

Investigations are expected to examine the project's approvals and construction. Authorities have yet to determine what caused the collapse or whether anyone was responsible.