Rescue teams face limited access after tall building collapses in Kenya, with many feared trapped

Rescue effort faces obstacles

The collapse left a large mound of concrete, with more than a dozen floors stacked close together. Rescue operations were complicated after police fired tear gas at people who had started looting nearby shops.

Officers sought to clear the area and make room for emergency response teams. Heavy equipment was scarce in the hours after the building fell.

Rescuers search the rubble

Hours after the collapse, rescuers wearing hard hats used poles stripped from trees to probe the rubble. An excavator arrived and began shifting concrete reinforced with steel. The work was intended to help rescuers reach the ground-level and basement floors. Those areas were reportedly rented as shops while construction continued above.

Building safety concerns persist

Building collapses have repeatedly occurred in Nairobi. County officials responsible for permits have faced accusations that they failed to inspect buildings adequately. The criticism concerns whether developers meet safety guidelines and construction standards. The account does not provide a confirmed number of people trapped or injured.