Seven people were reported missing following the collapse of a multi-storey building under construction in Eastleigh, Nairobi, on Friday, October 23, prompting a multi-agency search and rescue operation.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said the building collapsed at approximately 1 p.m. along 9th Street, near Yusuf Haji Avenue, in the busy commercial neighbourhood.

According to Murkomen, 67 construction workers were at the site when the building collapsed. Of these, 66 escaped unharmed, while one sustained injuries and was taken to hospital.

The seven people reported missing were believed to have been inside the building, including in areas occupied by businesses on the ground floor and basement. Their whereabouts remained unconfirmed in the latest reports available on Saturday morning.

The Kenya Red Cross separately reported that 26 people who had earlier been reported missing had been traced and accounted for. However, the available reports did not establish whether those individuals were among the seven people identified by the Interior Cabinet Secretary.

The search operation involves the National Police Service, Kenya Defence Forces, Nairobi City County emergency teams, the National Youth Service, the Kenya Red Cross and other relevant agencies.

Rescue teams have deployed heavy machinery to remove debris and access sections of the collapsed structure. The operation is being conducted carefully to protect rescuers and anyone who may still be trapped beneath the rubble.

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja said the building had received county approval but lacked an occupation certificate. The disclosure has raised questions about compliance with building regulations and the enforcement of construction safety standards in the city.

Authorities have said investigations will be conducted to establish the cause of the collapse. No definitive cause had been announced in the reports available by Saturday morning.

The incident has renewed concerns about construction safety in Nairobi, particularly the inspection of buildings, adherence to approved plans and enforcement of regulations governing developments in densely populated neighbourhoods.

Rescue operations were continuing as authorities worked to establish the whereabouts of those still unaccounted for.

As of October 24, the seven people had been reported missing, but their status had not been independently confirmed as either alive or deceased.