Two survivors rescued as police launch manhunt for Eastleigh building owner

Two survivors have been rescued from the collapsed building in Eastleigh, Nairobi and rushed to hospital, the National Police Service (NPS) has said.

At the same time, police have launched a manhunt for the owner of the building and the contractor.

"The National Police Service has initiate a comprehensive investigation, in collaboration with other relevant professional bodies, to establish the cause of the collapse and determine criminal liability. Any individual or entity found capable of negligence or of violating building regulations will face the full force of the law," NPS spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga said on Saturday.

The Police spokesperson also urged members of the public to stay away from Yusuf Haji Avenue and 9th Street to give heavy excavators, specialized canine units and rescue personnel unhindered access to perform their duties without interference.

“We advise family members seeking information about missing relatives to report immediately to the Kenya Red Cross desk established at the scene or to contact the emergency response number, 1199,” Mr Nyaga said.

On Friday evening, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said about 67 construction workers were at the site before the building collapsed along 9th Street, but all had been accounted for. One worker was injured, while the other 66 escaped unharmed.

However, about 11 shops are believed to be operational on the ground floor and in the basement, with seven people still unaccounted for as emergency teams continued searching the rubble.

“We are hopeful that they are safe and this rescue effort is going to ensure that they are rescued alive,” Murkomen said during a briefing at the scene.

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