A Nairobi woman whose relative was believed to be trapped inside a collapsed 18-storey building in Eastleigh spoke to journalists on Friday morning, revealing she had managed to make phone contact with him while he remained buried in the rubble.
Aisha Dawe Jilo, a resident of 10th Street in the Ninth District, arrived at the scene shortly after the structure came down at approximately 1:09 pm.
She told TV47 Kenya that among those unaccounted for was a young woman named Fate, who ran a shop on the ground floor of the building, as well as a young man whose uncle stood beside Aisha at the scene.
“He asked us to seek help urgently,” Aisha said of the relative she managed to reach by phone.
When was the last time Aisha spoke with relative?
She confirmed she first spoke to him around 1:47 pm, then again at approximately 3:07 pm, at which point he was still alive.
When a reporter asked whether she could call him again during the live broadcast to check on his condition, she agreed without hesitation.
Aisha said the family had alerted their inspector, identified as Nur, who responded quickly and contacted the relevant government authorities.
Kenya Red Cross arrives at Eastleigh after building collapse
Kenya Red Cross personnel and police officers were already on the ground by the time she spoke to the camera.
Despite the anguish of not knowing the full fate of those inside, Aisha expressed gratitude for the response she had witnessed.
“The government has been helping us, and we appreciate the support we have received,” she said, also acknowledging the presence of journalists from various outlets who had come to cover the incident.
Aisha leaves everything in God’s hands
Her words carried both grief and quiet resolve.
“We leave everything in God’s hands. We pray that those who are alive will be rescued safely. Even those who may have died, we pray that they will be recovered safely.”
A further update from the Nairobi governor was expected within the hour of the broadcast, with reporters on the ground awaiting confirmed details on casualties.
