Specialist search and rescue equipment has picked up potential signs of life from two people inside the rubble of the collapsed Eastleigh building, prompting hopes of more rescues.

“We have the radar equipment, which has been deployed to help us trace the victims, where they could be and whether they are still alive. We have also had some acoustic equipment, which basically detects the pulses, the human pulses,” Harrison Kiplimo Keter, President of the Institution of Engineers of Kenya (IEK) said on site on Tuesday 27th October 2026.

This was reported to have been picked up shortly before midnight.

Kenyan emergency services are being supported by specialist search and rescue teams and equipment as they try to locate people following the collapse of the multi-storey building on Friday 23rd October. The equipment is helping to locate signs of people inside the rubble.

The radar can help to locate movement and the sound equipment can help to locate potential signs of life. This can help to inform the rescue teams where to focus their efforts. However, this should be carefully interpreted before attempting to locate the potential survivor.

The search has been difficult due to the heavy concrete slabs and unstable rubble. If not properly assessed the rubble can put the people trapped and those trying to rescue them at risk. Therefore the rescue teams have been being very cautious in their search.

The search has been supported by a specialist Chinese search and rescue team called Blue Sky Rescue. They have brought specialist equipment to help locate people inside the rubble. They have detected two people alive in the basement of the building, Kamukunji MP Yussuf Hassan said.

“A Chinese search and rescue team (Blue Sky Rescue USAR) arrived with specialist equipment this afternoon. They have detected two people alive in the basement,” Hassan said.

This has given new hope for the families of those who may have been inside the building. However, this is not a confirmed rescue.

The Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) have also sent specialist Urban Search and Rescue teams, dogs and other people to support the search. The military have said that 6 survivors were rescued so far. Two of these were rescued in further operations and were taken to Kenyatta National Hospital in a stable condition.

The report of the detection means there could be more survivors. However, there was no confirmation of the status of the two people in the latest official report.

The partially built building collapsed on 23rd October on 9th Street in Eastleigh, Nairobi. This caused a large emergency as people were feared to be trapped underneath. It also raised questions about approvals for the building, monitoring on site and businesses being in a building that had not been completed.

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has said that the county approved a change in use to commercial cum residential in October 2024, but had not approved architectural plans that were submitted later in the year. This has caused questions over the approvals of the building however the cause of the collapse and who is responsible needs to be investigated.

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions has asked the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to investigate the circumstances surrounding the collapse. The Engineers Board of Kenya have also begun investigations.

The report of the two potential survivors has come as they try to find out how many people may still be missing. The Kenya Red Cross have reported that they received 31 reports of missing people. However, they have said that this number needs to be verified as some people may have left the scene.

The conflicting numbers have made it difficult to know exactly how many people are still unaccounted for. Authorities and humanitarian teams have been contacting families to verify who may still be trapped.

This has given hope to families waiting on site that two people may still be alive. However, they are unsure until the rescue teams have located them. The priority is to get to the areas identified by the specialist equipment whilst being cautious of the unstable structure.

The search and rescue teams are trying to locate any people still trapped, rescue victims and ensure the rubble can be cleared safely without putting survivors or emergency services at risk.