Eastleigh building collapse: Two survivors detected alive beneath rubble

Rescue teams at the site of the collapsed building in Eastleigh are racing to reach two people trapped beneath the rubble after they were detected using specialised equipment from China, with reports indicating they are still alive.

Rescue teams are now working to reach them as efforts intensify to locate the 20 people feared trapped beneath the debris. 

It is the fifth night that families of those trapped are spending at the site, with hopes fading with every passing minute.

It is now day five of the Eastleigh building collapse, with time running out as rescue teams intensify efforts to reach those still trapped beneath the rubble.

“Kazi inendelea kwa kasi tangu jana ndugu zetu wamekuja kutusaidia kutoka Uchina.," Yusuf Haji, Kamukunji MP, said. 

“We are doing our level best and we will be able to achieve our objective," Dr. Duncan Ochieng, the incident commander, noted. 

The specialised equipment designed to detect survivors trapped beneath the rubble includes the Delsar LD3 Acoustic Life Detector, which detects faint sounds and vibrations from survivors, and the JEET White-Light and Thermal-Imaging Snake-Eye Life Detector, which extends into the debris to capture images and thermal signals, helping rescuers pinpoint their exact location.

Also in use is the Beacon SJ6000 Radar Life Detector, which detects heartbeat and breathing patterns beneath the rubble, helping rescue teams locate survivors who may otherwise be difficult to reach.

However, efforts to reach the two remain ongoing as rescuers race against time.

“We have not been able to reach where they are," Dr. Ochieng added. 

MP Haji expressed concern over the time taken to reach the trapped people, saying, “Nimeingiwa na wasiwasi kidogo manake 72 hours ziliisha. Ningeeomba tutulie nguvu kuharakisha kuokoa hao watu.”

Meanwhile, families camping at the scene remain gripped by anguish and uncertainty, clinging to the hope of reuniting with their loved ones alive even as fears over their fate grow with each passing day.

“Ni wakati mgumu sana tunapoona jamii zetu zikiangamia. Wataalamu tumesikia wamekuja, tumeshukuru, lakini mbona hawangekuja mapema?” Thomas Alute, a relative of those feared trapped, wondered.  

“At our desk, 52 people had been reported missing, but 32 have been reunited with their families," George Ndolo, head of the Lower Eastern region at the Kenya Red Cross, noted. 

It is a round-the-clock operation, now nearly 70 per cent complete, but with little success in rescuing those still trapped beneath the rubble.

Disappointment is mounting among families, whose hopes of reuniting with their loved ones alive continue to fade as they wait anxiously for the search operation to yield results.