Missing woman’s phone answered beneath Nairobi rubble nine days after Eastleigh collapse
Nine days after an 18-storey building under construction collapsed in Eastleigh, Nairobi, the family of a missing 22-year-old says her mobile phone suddenly became reachable — and a call to it was answered. Aurelia Wanjiku has been missing since the building came down on Friday, 23 October.
Her family says the phone had been unreachable for eight days before it went through on Saturday, 31 October. Her sister called, the call connected, and someone picked up — but did not speak. Later calls brought only background noise, including excavators at the site. It is not known who answered, or whether Aurelia is alive beneath the rubble.
Her mother, Judrose Wanjiru, travelled from Kangema in Murang’a County to look for her daughter. The family had checked the City Mortuary after a woman’s body was retrieved; it was not Aurelia. The family gave the phone details to rescue coordinators, who passed them to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations. Detectives are now tracing the number to pinpoint it.
By Friday, 30 October, rescuers had recovered a woman’s body, four people had been rescued alive, and 16 others were still unaccounted for. Their families have urged teams to move faster and use more advanced detection equipment. Crews were preparing for the operation’s final phase on Sunday, 1 November.
Why it matters
The collapse is not an isolated accident. Stats Kenya recorded at least 83 building collapses between January 2020 and October 2026, killing 88 people and injuring 131; Nairobi had the most, with 30 collapses. Questions also remain over the building’s approval: Governor Johnson Sakaja said the county approved a change of use in October 2024 but not the architectural plans, and the building had no occupation certificate. The Director of Public Prosecutions has ordered an investigation into county officials, developers and contractors.
What happens next
The immediate focus is the phone signal. If investigators trace it to a spot under the rubble, rescue teams will know where to concentrate their search. For the families of the 16 still missing, the call has brought hope — but no answers yet. The wider investigation into the building’s approval and construction continues.
This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.
Sources
- https://peopledaily.digital/news/eastleigh-building-collapse-trapped-woman-receives-phone-calls-while-beneath-rubble-days-after-disaster (People Daily, 31 Oct 2026)
- https://kenya-today.com/report-family-claims-missing-daughters-phone-answered-from-within-eastleigh-collapse-rubble-19905/ (Kenya Today, 31 Oct 2026)
- https://radiogeneration.co.ke/nairobi-leads-kenya-in-building-collapses-and-deaths-as-eastleigh-tragedy-exposes-safety-gaps-48349 (Radio Generation, 31 Oct 2026)
