Rescuers at the site of the collapsed building on 9th Street in Eastleigh, Nairobi, have detected two more people alive beneath the debris, renewing hope for families who have camped at the scene for nearly a week.

The two were picked up on Tuesday evening by equipment operated by a Chinese search and rescue team that joined the operation at the government's request. By Wednesday morning, however, rescuers had not yet reached them, according to Kenyans.co.ke and Citizen Digital.

"We have not been able to reach where they are," incident commander Dr Duncan Ochieng told Citizen TV, adding that the teams were doing their best.

Specialised equipment

The building, which was still under construction, came down on Friday, October 23. Six survivors had earlier been pulled out alive, according to the Kenya Defence Forces.

The detection of the latest two was made possible by specialised tools, including:

  • The Delsar LD3 acoustic life detector, which picks up faint sounds and vibrations.
  • A thermal imaging "snake eye" camera that can be pushed into gaps in the rubble.
  • A radar life detector that senses breathing and heartbeat patterns.

Missing numbers

Figures on those still unaccounted for vary. Kenyans.co.ke reported that at least 16 people remain missing, while Citizen Digital put the number of people feared trapped at about 20. Kenya Red Cross Lower Eastern head George Ndolo told Citizen that 52 people had been reported missing at the Red Cross desk, and 32 of them had since been reunited with their families.

Kenyans.co.ke said about 85 per cent of the rubble had been removed by Wednesday morning. Citizen Digital put the operation at nearly 70 per cent complete on Tuesday night.

Frustration at the site

Kamukunji MP Yusuf Hassan said he was worried about how long it was taking to reach those trapped, noting that the critical 72-hour window had passed, and urged teams to speed up.

Relatives at the scene questioned why the specialised teams had not been brought in earlier. "We have heard the experts have come and we are grateful, but why didn't they come earlier?" asked Thomas Alute, whose relatives are feared trapped.

Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations are separately investigating the collapse and have questioned several people, including Nairobi County officers, as they seek to establish whether approvals and inspections were done as required.

Photos: KDF via Kenyans.co.ke. Thumbnail design: HAMASTA MEDIA.