Post-mortem examinations and DNA identification of the eight victims of the Eastleigh building collapse are expected to continue on Monday, November 9, as authorities work to establish the causes of death and formally identify the deceased.
The examinations are being conducted at the Nairobi Funeral Home, formerly City Mortuary, where the bodies recovered from the collapsed structure were taken following the conclusion of a 15-day search and recovery operation.
The procedures will help establish the causes of death and facilitate formal identification through DNA testing, particularly for families whose relatives have not yet been conclusively identified.
The eight bodies recovered from the rubble comprised six women and two men. Their recovery brought the death toll from the October 23 disaster to eight, while four people were pulled out alive.
The 18-storey building collapsed along 9th Street in Eastleigh, Nairobi, triggering a multi-agency rescue operation involving emergency responders, security agencies and humanitarian organisations.
Authorities officially called off the search on Friday, November 6, after teams completed searches of all accessible basement compartments and other sections of the collapsed structure.
Nairobi North County Commissioner Simon Osumba said the decision followed efforts to reach areas where people were believed to have been trapped. No additional bodies were recovered on the final day of the operation.
However, three people initially reported missing remain unaccounted for. Their cases are now being handled as missing-person reports, with the National Police Service expected to continue following up with their families.
The conclusion of the physical search has shifted attention towards identifying the deceased, supporting affected families and establishing what led to the collapse.
Nairobi County Government has pledged to assist the affected families by covering the cost of DNA testing, mortuary expenses and burial arrangements. The support is intended to ease the financial burden on relatives as they navigate the identification and funeral processes.
The Kenya Red Cross has also continued engaging with affected families at the mortuary as authorities work to complete the identification procedures.
Meanwhile, attention is also turning to investigations into the circumstances surrounding the collapse, including questions about construction approvals, building standards and the responsibilities of those involved in the development.
The Directorate of Public Prosecutions had earlier directed the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to investigate possible wrongdoing by county officials, developers, contractors and other professionals connected to the project.
The investigations are expected to establish how the 18-storey structure was allowed to reach the stage of construction and occupation before collapsing.
