NAIROBI, Kenya- Three construction workers have been confirmed dead after a perimeter wall collapsed at an active construction site in Riverside, Nairobi, as multi-agency search and rescue operations continue to account for 11 others.
Nairobi County said 39 workers were recorded at the site when the wall gave way at about 11:30 am on Saturday.
In its latest situation report, the county said 11 workers had been rescued alive from the rubble and rushed to nearby hospitals with severe injuries, while 14 others had been confirmed safe and stable at the scene.
The fate of the remaining 11 workers is yet to be confirmed, with rescue teams conducting searches at the site and cross-checking hospital admission records.
Main building was at foundation stage
Nairobi County Chief Officer for Disaster Management and Coordination Bramwell Simiyu said preliminary assessments indicated that the main building was still at the excavation and foundation stage when the incident occurred.
“No upper floors had been erected at the time of the incident,” the county said, clarifying that the collapse involved a perimeter wall at the construction site.
County disaster teams are working alongside national emergency agencies to secure the site, conduct rescue operations and keep the immediate area clear for ambulances and heavy rescue equipment.
Kenya Red Cross had earlier confirmed that its action teams and two E-Plus ambulances had been deployed to the Riverside scene.
Authorities have urged motorists and members of the public to avoid the immediate Riverside area to allow rescue teams unrestricted access.
Audit planned after rescue operation
The county said a full structural and regulatory compliance audit will be undertaken after the search and rescue operation is completed.
The assessment will involve the Nairobi County Built Environment and Urban Planning Department and the National Construction Authority, with investigators expected to examine whether safety and regulatory requirements were observed at the site.
No cause of the wall collapse has been established, and the county said further verified updates would be issued as operations continue.
The Riverside incident comes a day after six workers were killed when an eight-storey building under construction collapsed near the Nairobi SGR Terminus in Syokimau. Authorities later said all 405 workers at that separate site had been accounted for. the-star.co.ke
The latest incident is likely to renew scrutiny of construction-site safety, compliance monitoring and emergency preparedness in Nairobi, where major development projects continue across residential and commercial neighbourhoods.
