Families are growing increasingly frustrated as rescue operations enter a critical sixth day at the site of the 18-storey building that collapsed along 9th Street in Eastleigh, Nairobi, leaving 16 people still unaccounted for.

National Disaster Management Unit Director Duncan Onyango is urging affected relatives to remain patient as multi-agency teams, comprising the Kenya Defence Forces, engineers, the Kenya Police, the National Youth Service, and the Kenya Red Cross, carefully scour through heavy debris.

“We have again used specialized acoustic life detectors and still there is an indication of life; we are making progress to be able to reach those who are still trapped,” Onyango says, noting that safety protocols for both responders and the public is important.

Mr. Onyango adds that rescuers face challenges due to the confined space, heavy concrete slabs, and restricted access to the site.

“This type of collapse is a bit challenging because it is in a confined space. We can only access it from one side and the debris are too much… we are still searching for those who are suspected to be in the rubble,” he says.

Since the structure tumbled on Friday, October 23, multi-agency teams have engaged advanced tech, including acoustic life detectors, thermal imaging, and radar systems to help pinpoint signs of life trapped in the basement and lower levels of the collapsed building.

Rescue operations hit 80% completion, as investigators now left with the option of tracking mobile data to trace victims, with phone signals confirming at least nine of the missing were inside the structure when it fell.

The disaster has reignited scrutiny over the safety of Nairobi’s building standards, municipal inspection enforcement, and the approval of high-rise developments.

In light of approvals, investigations by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations and county government authorities are underway to determine why the building did not have a valid occupation certificate even as lower-floor businesses continued to operate.

With these unresolved issues still raising questions, the business community, affected families, and everyday Kenyans are watching closely to see how the case will unfold.