A construction pit wall gave way before dawn on Wednesday along Kirinyaga Road, injuring six workers and sparking a major rescue. A worker at the site said an excavator struck one side of the excavation wall, which weakened and collapsed, trapping colleagues inside the foundation trench. He placed the time “around 3:30 a.m.” and described panic as a tilting drum mixer rolled into the hole. Paramedics took the injured to Kenyatta National Hospital. Officials had not confirmed their condition at the time of publication.
What happened in the pit
According to Nairobi County, the collapse occurred at approximately 5:00 a.m. near the OTC area on Kirinyaga Road. Response teams reached the site quickly and conducted search and rescue in the excavation. All 18 workers on shift were accounted for; six men sustained injuries and there were no fatalities. A follow-up sweep confirmed no one remained trapped, and the scene was then handed to OCPD Central for cordoning and investigation.
Key terms: An excavation is a dug-out cavity prepared for a building’s foundation. A tilting drum mixer is a concrete mixer that tilts to discharge the mix; it can become hazardous if it rolls into a trench during a collapse.
Inside the rescue: step by step
Initial alerts went out just after dawn. The county fire brigade and partner agencies cleared debris and stabilized the pit edge. The six injured were pulled out and handed to St. John Ambulance teams, then transferred to hospital. The Kenya Red Cross reported a coordinated, multi-agency response and confirmed that all 18 workers were located.
Kirinyaga Road building collapse: what we know so far
Witnesses link the failure to contact between an excavator and the trench wall as crews cleared sand for steel placement. The county summary lists 18 accounted for, six injured, zero deaths. Timings differ slightly: a worker cited about 3:30 a.m., while county updates put the incident near 5:00 a.m. Authorities have opened a formal probe to determine the precise sequence and compliance status.
Oversight questions after recent incidents
The collapse comes less than a month after a fatal construction failure in South C that killed at least two people and triggered national scrutiny of site safety. Broader reporting has noted recurring risks tied to weak enforcement of building rules. Regulators and police investigations from that earlier case are ongoing.
Next steps for investigators
The site has been cordoned for scene analysis and documentation. Investigators will review excavation support, equipment movements inside the trench, night-shift supervision and permit compliance. They will also collect statements from workers, the foreman and the contractor. Attempts to reach the foreman on Wednesday were unsuccessful; he declined to comment when contacted by The Star (Kenya).
A developing file, with workers accounted for
By mid-morning, all 18 workers had been accounted for and rescue teams had completed a secondary sweep. Six were treated after extrication and taken to hospital for further care. Authorities will release updates on causes and any compliance actions once the investigation advances. Early reports and official summaries align on the core facts: full accounting of personnel, six injuries, and no fatalities.
