This is the terrifying moment a seven-storey building collapsed in Kenya, forcing locals to flee the scene while screaming.
Shocking footage captured the catastrophic incident in which the building in Kahawa West, Nairobi, was reduced to rubble with a loud crash on Sunday morning.
As the huge building appeared to collapse in slow motion, panicked passers-by could be seen running from the scene as thick columns of smoke rose into the sky.
A search and rescue mission is underway following the collapse as authorities fear there may be multiple victims, with one already reported, according to Nairobi Governor Sakaja Johnson.
Johnson said in an update: ‘So far, the only casualty is reported; A middle-aged lady, who was outside the building, fell and was injured when the building collapsed. He is currently receiving treatment and is stable.”
Terrifying images show the moment a seven-story building collapsed in Kenya on Sunday
The tall building collapsed in a column of smoke and locals fled the scene.
Authorities believe there may be multiple victims, and one has already been reported.
The Kenya Red Cross said several families were likely trapped inside the collapsed building.
The Kenya Red Cross said several families were likely trapped inside the collapsed building, according to local reporters.
However, it is unknown how many people were inside at the time of the collapse.
Nairobi police chief Adamson Bungei said residents had been evacuated from the house.
“We’re not sure if there were still people there, but I know there was an evacuation.” “They knew I was weak,” he said.
Nairobi County Built Environment Executive Patrick Mbogo has stated that occupants residing in adjacent buildings will also be evacuated as a precautionary procedure.
Dicken Muchena, 31, who witnessed the collapse, said: “The building had already been considered a threat to people earlier today.”
A view from the scene after the collapse of an apartment building in the West Kahawa area of Nairobi, Kenya’s capital, on October 20.
Kenyan police officers instruct passersby to evacuate area next to collapsed residential building
A Kenyan rescuer inspects the rubble during a search and rescue mission
Kenyan and foreign multi-agency disaster response teams were carrying out a search and rescue operation with unconfirmed reports of several people trapped under the rubble.
Kenyan security forces take precautions among the remains of the building where search and rescue operations took place
‘There were signs of collapse so people began to evacuate.
‘I went out to investigate more on the ground and that’s when the house collapsed.
‘I was shocked to see the people who were near the building buried.
“There was horror at the scene and confusion.”
The Nairobi City County Government has confirmed the collapse of a housing unit in plot number Kahawa West area. 233, along Station Road.
Currently, all Nairobi County teams are fully engaged in disaster recovery and evacuation of occupants from surrounding buildings.