Woman recovered from Eastleigh rubble to undergo DNA identification

Woman recovered from Eastleigh rubble to undergo DNA identification

The recovery comes as families of those reported missing continue to wait anxiously for news of their loved ones, with the operation entering its eighth day.

The body of a woman recovered from the rubble of the collapsed building in Eastleigh, Nairobi, at around 6:30 am on Friday has been taken to the City Mortuary for DNA testing to aid in her identification.

The body was severely dismembered after being crushed by falling concrete and debris.

According to Nairobi North County Commissioner Simon Osumba, who chairs the rescue operation, the condition of the body made identification difficult, necessitating DNA testing to establish the victim's identity.

"It is with sorrow that we continue with this operation. We have spoken to the family members who were here and informed them that the body has been taken to the City Mortuary. We will involve the family in the identification process," he said.

Osumba added that the operation had received support from the national government, the Kenya Red Cross, the Eastleigh business community and other stakeholders.

Speaking during an update on the operation, National Disaster Management Unit Director and incident commander Duncan Ochieng said the rescue team had successfully located and recovered the woman's body through a tactical assessment.

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Ochieng said the operation was about 85 per cent complete but cautioned that reaching everyone trapped beneath the debris would require patience and careful planning.

He emphasised that the safety of rescuers remained a priority, noting that the collapsed structure presented significant challenges because of the confined working space, heavy concrete debris and the nature of the collapse.

"We will not kill ourselves in the process. The operation is ongoing, and we will reach ground zero when we are satisfied that there are no more bodies in the collapsed building. We do not want to endanger ourselves by rushing the process," he said.

He urged members of the public to respect the restricted area, warning that the site remained a crime scene and that interference could expose people to danger.

Ochieng further disclosed that a new family involving a foreign national had reported a missing relative on Friday morning, bringing the number of reported missing persons from 16 to 17.

He said the operation remained focused on both the search for survivors and the recovery of bodies, adding that teams would continue working until they were satisfied that everyone trapped beneath the rubble had been accounted for.

"The process is still search and rescue. In the process of searching, we rescue. If we cannot rescue, we recover. We are looking at the safety of those who may still be alive as well as those who may have died," he said.

The recovery comes as families of those reported missing continue to wait anxiously for news of their loved ones, with the operation entering its eighth day.