NAIROBI, Kenya- Business stopped along one of Eastleigh’s busiest commercial streets on Friday afternoon as rescuers searched the rubble of a collapsed building and crowds gathered around the scene.
The multi-storey structure, which was still under construction, collapsed along 9th Street near First Avenue.
An injured woman was pulled from the rubble and taken to hospital, according to witness account from the scene.
The number of people who may have been inside the building remained unclear.
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja’s office said the building’s ground floor was occupied and there were reports that people could be trapped beneath the debris.
The cause of the collapse had not been established. Reuters reported that the structure was 12 storeys high.
The collapse disrupted activity around Yusuf Haji Avenue, where traders and passers-by gathered to watch rescue operations.
Police said the crowd blocked roads and made it difficult for emergency responders to reach the site.
Officers fired tear gas to clear access.
The scenes underscored the challenge of carrying out a rescue in a densely built commercial area, where shops, traffic and large crowds can constrain access for emergency teams.
Residents and traders were urged to keep away from the immediate site and allow responders room to work.
The building’s lower floor was occupied even as construction continued, according to the governor’s office.
Authorities had not said how many people were in the building when it collapsed, or whether those reported missing were workers, occupants or members of the public.
Nairobi City County emergency teams and other responders were at the scene.
The Kenya Red Cross said its response teams were heading to the area after the collapse.
Search and rescue work continued as officials sought to establish whether more people were trapped.
No cause had been confirmed as of Friday afternoon, and officials had not released a full account of casualties.
The rescue operation and the assessment of the site were continuing.
