By Karim Hammam
The first body has been recovered from the rubble of an 18-story building that collapsed a week ago in Nairobi’s Eastleigh commercial district, with 16 people still missing, authorities said Friday.
Recovery efforts continue
The body of a woman was found badly mutilated after being crushed by heavy concrete and steel. Since the collapse last Friday, only four survivors have been pulled from the debris, and no additional survivors have been found since Saturday. Thermal imaging technology provided by a team from China was deployed earlier this week and detected two human beings beneath the rubble.
Governor cites violations
Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja said the building did not have the required construction approvals. He added that renting out completed shops on the ground and basement floors was illegal, as regulations require buildings to undergo inspection and obtain an occupation certificate before being occupied.
Families await news
Families who believed their loved ones were trapped have been camping at the site for a week. Some have begun losing hope after the critical 72-hour window passed, doubting that anyone could survive more than three days under the debris. The four rescued survivors have recounted traumatic experiences of being trapped beneath the collapsed structure.
