Workers Escape Death in Moi Avenue Building Collapse
Four workers were injured during demolition works at Avenida Building along Moi Avenue in Nairobi on Friday night, the County Executive Committee Member for Built Environment has said.
Three of the injured workers were taken to Kenyatta National Hospital for treatment, while all 24 workers reported to have been at the site were accounted for.
No fatalities were reported, according to a situation report issued on Saturday by the County Executive Committee Member for Built Environment.
The incident occurred during planned structural demolition to prepare the site for redevelopment in Nairobi Central Ward, Starehe sub-county.
Nairobi City County Fire and Rescue Services activated emergency response protocols after receiving an alert at approximately 12.11 am on Saturday. County fire and rescue personnel cordoned off the site before the National Disaster Management Unit took over incident command to coordinate operations.
“Search operations, including the deployment of canine teams, were completed by 1.50 am,” the report said.
“Machinery has been deployed to clear debris and secure the area. A structural safety assessment will be conducted before any further activity is allowed at the site.”
The county said further updates would be provided after the multi-agency team concludes its assessments.
In an earlier statement, Nairobi County official Geoffrey Mosiria said the incident occurred at night when human traffic along the busy street was minimal, potentially preventing further casualties.
Mosiria called on county engineers to conduct a thorough investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the collapse.
He said the probe should determine the cause of the incident, establish whether qualified professionals supervised the demolition and verify whether the necessary county approvals had been obtained.
“I call upon our county engineers to conduct a thorough investigation into this specific demolition to establish the cause of the collapse, determine whether qualified experts were involved to guide the demolition, and verify whether all the necessary demolition approvals had been obtained,” Mosiria said.
He also urged developers to comply with county regulations governing construction and demolition works, stressing the importance of prioritising public safety.
“I appeal to all developers to strictly comply with county laws during construction and demolition and work closely with county engineers to ensure safety and protect lives,” he added.