A building has collapsed along 9th Street in Eastleigh, Nairobi, sparking fears that people could be trapped beneath the rubble.
The circumstances surrounding the incident remain unclear, with the number of people who may have been affected yet to be established.
Witnesses at the scene said the building had reached the 18th floor before the collapse, raising concerns over the scale of the incident and the potential risk to people in the surrounding area.
The incident triggered chaos at the scene, with witnesses reporting that looting had begun as members of the public gathered around the collapsed structure.
According to eyewitness accounts, some individuals allegedly pelted ambulances with stones, forcing the emergency vehicles to divert from the scene and raising concerns about efforts to respond to the disaster.
The reported disruption threatened to complicate emergency response efforts at a time when urgent assistance could be required to search for and rescue anyone trapped beneath the debris.
The collapse also caused a major traffic snarl-up on roads leading into and out of Eastleigh, one of Nairobi's busiest commercial hubs in the Eastlands area.
Motorists and other road users experienced disruptions as the incident affected movement within the neighbourhood, which attracts heavy pedestrian and vehicular traffic due to its vibrant business activities.
Questions are expected to emerge over the circumstances that led to the collapse, including the building's structural integrity, construction standards and compliance with relevant safety regulations.
As of the time of reporting, the Nairobi City County Government (NCCG), the National Police Service (NPS), the National Disaster Management Unit (NDMU) and the National Construction Authority (NCA) had not issued official statements detailing the circumstances of the incident.
It also remained unclear whether the building had obtained the necessary construction approvals and complied with applicable building regulations.
Authorities are expected to establish the cause of the collapse, assess the extent of the damage and determine whether anyone was injured, killed or trapped in the rubble.
Further details on the incident, including the number of casualties and the status of any rescue operations, were still awaited.
