Two people have been confirmed dead after a building collapsed at Nairobi's Gikomba Market on the evening of Thursday, June 25, with several others trapped beneath the rubble.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

The collapse involved the Block B section of the market, which had sustained extensive structural damage during a recent fire that tore through sections of Gikomba last Sunday morning.

According to witnesses who spoke to Kenyans.co.ke , the building caved in while a group of young men were inside collecting scrap metal and dismantling parts of the weakened structure.

Footage shared with the publication showed emergency responders working under floodlights to search through piles of broken concrete, twisted metal and other debris.

📌 What You Need to Know

Firefighters and Kenya Red Cross personnel could be seen coordinating rescue efforts as a section of traders and residents gathered around the scene, awaiting the recovery of those trapped.

The Kenya Red Cross confirmed it had deployed first responders to support the rescue mission alongside the Nairobi City County Fire Brigade and other emergency agencies.

"The Kenya Red Cross is supporting response efforts following a building collapse at Gikomba Market in Nairobi. Search and rescue operations are ongoing alongside the Nairobi City County Fire Brigade," the humanitarian organisation said.

Rescue operations continued for several hours before the Kenya Red Cross announced that the overnight search-and-retrieval exercise had concluded.

"The overnight search and retrieval operation at Gikomba Market has been successfully concluded through the joint efforts of the Nairobi City County Fire Brigade, Kenya Red Cross first responders and the National Police Service," the agency said in an update.

The Kenya Red Cross added that it remained ready to provide psychosocial support to families affected by the tragedy through the appropriate channels.

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke