Tragedy As 16-Story Building Collapses In South C, Rescue Underway
On Friday, January 2, a multi-story structure under construction collapsed in the Shopping Centre section of Nairobi’s South C estate, causing concern among residents and passers-by.
Emergency personnel were soon dispatched to the scene, but officials have yet to confirm whether anyone was trapped beneath the debris or incurred injuries.
Thick dust and scattered debris blanketed the region, driving neighboring residents and business owners to leave the streets in panic.
According to the Kenya Red Cross, a multi-agency response team was promptly mobilized to manage the crisis, conduct search and rescue operations, and protect the area.
Update: The area has been cordoned off as the National Disaster Management Unit, Nairobi City County, the National Police Service and the Kenya Red Cross continue search and rescue operations.
— Kenya Red Cross (@KenyaRedCross) January 2, 2026
More updates to follow. https://t.co/LlMza6QDoc pic.twitter.com/by5RI0ra5g
“The area has been cordoned off as the National Disaster Management Unit, Nairobi City County, the National Police Service, and the Kenya Red Cross continue search and rescue operations,” Red Cross said in a statement.
At the time of publication, neither the county government, the national government, nor the National Construction Authority (NCA) had released a statement regarding the occurrence.
The incident occurred less than a month after the NCA cautioned the public, particularly residents in Nairobi’s Westlands district, to remain careful following the discovery of obvious cracks in a 13-story building on Peponi Road.
16 floor building under construction in South C area of Nairobi collapses. Casualties unknown at the moment. pic.twitter.com/6SlIwdVWBe
— Ahmed Mohamed ((ASMALi)) (@Asmali77) January 2, 2026
The authority warned that the high-rise structure, which was still under construction, was in danger of collapsing due to structural faults.
On Wednesday, December 17, NCA announced that a quality assurance team had been dispatched to the site to undertake compliance checks.
Incidents of buildings under construction collapsing have been increasing, particularly in the Westlands area of Nairobi.
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On July 31, last year, a wall collapsed at a construction site on 147 Rhapta Road, injuring several workers.
Reports indicated that the site, allegedly managed by a Chinese firm, had multiple safety violations at the time of the incident.
Unconfirmed sources also revealed that the site lacked a signboard and visible safety compliance measures.
Earlier in February, one person passed away when a three-storey building under construction collapsed on Third Avenue in Parklands, Nairobi.
Tragedy As 16-Story Building Collapses In South C, Rescue Underway
