Rescue teams searching the rubble of the collapsed Eastleigh building have detected possible signs of life from two people, raising fresh hopes of a breakthrough as authorities continue efforts to trace 20 people whose whereabouts remain unknown.

The signals were detected on Tuesday, 27 October, using specialised equipment brought to the site by Chinese humanitarian rescue specialists. However, as of Wednesday morning, the teams had yet to reach the two locations and confirm whether the people believed to be trapped were alive.

The development comes five days after the multi-storey building collapsed along 9th Street in Nairobi’s Eastleigh area, trapping people believed to have been working or operating businesses inside the structure.

According to Xinhua, China’s state news agency, Kenya Red Cross emergency operations manager Anthony Muchiri said the equipment had detected two distinct signals beneath concrete slabs and twisted metal. The findings allowed rescuers to narrow their search to specific locations rather than clearing large sections of debris without a precise target. 

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Missing persons figures revised as tracing continues

The number of people still unaccounted for has changed as authorities verify reports from families and reconcile information about who was at the site when the building collapsed.

The Kenya Red Cross had registered 52 missing-person cases. By Wednesday, officials said 32 cases had been closed after the individuals were traced and reunited with their families, leaving 20 outstanding cases. The figure includes people whose presence at the building at the time of the collapse is still being established. 

Nairobi North Regional Commissioner Simon Osumba said some of those being sought were casual construction workers whose identities were difficult to establish because they had provided incomplete names or no telephone contacts.

Authorities are working with the Kenya Red Cross and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to trace the missing, including using mobile phone information to help establish their last known whereabouts.

The outstanding cases should not automatically be interpreted as 20 people confirmed to be alive beneath the rubble. Investigators are still working to determine who was present when the building came down and where the unaccounted-for individuals may be.

Specialist equipment guides the search

The latest breakthrough has brought renewed attention to the technology being used to search areas that rescuers cannot easily reach by hand or with heavy machinery.

The Chinese team, from the humanitarian organisation Blue Sky Rescue, has deployed specialised equipment including radar life detectors, acoustic sensors and snake cameras. These tools can help identify subtle movement, vibrations or sounds and allow responders to focus on particular sections of the wreckage. 

The equipment is intended to guide the search, not replace the careful removal of concrete and steel. Rescuers must still clear a safe route to the suspected locations while avoiding further movement of unstable debris that could endanger trapped people or emergency personnel.

The operation has also been complicated by underground water and sewer infrastructure, alongside concerns about the stability of the collapsed structure. Officials have said these challenges require teams to work cautiously even as families wait for news.

Reports have differed on how much of the debris has been cleared. The Standard reported on Wednesday that the operation was about 65 per cent complete, while other accounts put progress higher. The precise figure should therefore be treated cautiously as the search continues.DCI probe turns to approvals and construction oversight

As rescue efforts continue, attention is also turning to how the building was planned, approved and constructed.

On 26 October, the Director of Public Prosecutions directed the DCI to investigate whether any actions or failures by Nairobi County officials, the developer, contractors or construction professionals contributed to the collapse.

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions said Nairobi County had not forwarded an inquiry file concerning the building’s construction before the directive. It said anyone found criminally responsible could face prosecution if the evidence supports such action. The National Construction Authority has identified 9th Street Plaza Limited as the developer listed for the project and Stromax Holdings E.A Limited as the contractor. It also named the architect and structural engineer recorded for the development. Those details identify the professionals and companies on record; they do not, by themselves, establish responsibility for the collapse. 

Investigators are expected to examine the project’s approvals, supervision and compliance with building requirements. Any conclusions about negligence or criminal responsibility will depend on the evidence gathered.

For families gathered near the scene, however, the immediate priority remains finding their loved ones. The detection of two possible life signals has given them a new reason to hope, but rescuers still face the difficult task of reaching the locations and confirming what lies beneath the debris.