When a building collapses, rescuers face a race against time to locate people trapped beneath concrete and twisted debris. In Nairobi’s Eastleigh area, the search following the October 23 collapse highlights the complex work involved from assessing dangerous structures and using sniffer dogs and thermal sensors to carefully removing rubble without putting survivors or rescue teams at greater risk.

In this Africa Watch episode, Robert Nagila explains the different stages of urban search and rescue and why the first hours can be critical for those trapped. But the Eastleigh incident also raises questions about Nairobi’s wider building safety record, including concerns over construction standards and enforcement. With the cause of the collapse still under investigation, how can future tragedies be prevented?

Credit List:

Executive Producers: Sun Lan, Wang Haiyang
Planning Editor: Matthias Muindi
Reporter: Robert Nagila
Digital Producers: Francisca Wanjiru, Isaac Oyombe
Creative Designer: Bemnet Goitom
Video Editor: George Michuki
Cameraman: Karuri Nyaga
Graphic Designer: Duncan Ogola