XCMG Deploys Heavy Equipment to Support Nairobi Building Collapse Rescue
XUZHOU, China, Oct. 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- XCMG Group joined rescue operations and helped local emergency teams rescue two people after a building under construction collapsed in Nairobi on Oct. 23, according to an Oct. 25 report by Xinhua News Agency.
The 18-story building collapsed on the afternoon of Oct. 23 in the Kenyan capital's Eastleigh neighborhood. Ground-floor shops were open and construction workers were on site at the time. Following the collapse, the Kenya Defence Forces, the Red Cross and police rushed to the site to conduct search and rescue operations. The large volume of rubble and thick layers of collapsed concrete slabs created an urgent need for heavy lifting and demolition equipment.
XCMG's Kenya office activated its emergency response procedures upon learning of the collapse. Its team went to the site to coordinate with Kenya's National Disaster Operations Centre and police rescue personnel. Following a request for assistance, XCMG dispatched an excavator to the site that day, followed by a 25-tonne crane the next day. All equipment and personnel worked under the direction of the on-site rescue team to help rescue people trapped beneath the rubble and clear access routes.
William Sifuna Watitwa, a police personnel officer for the Nairobi North sub-region, told Xinhua that the excavator was crucial to freeing the two survivors. He said the crane enabled crews to lift heavy wreckage from above, reducing the weight of debris and improving access to areas where survivors might be located.
"As a Chinese company that has operated in Kenya for many years, we are part of the local community and stand with it in times of need," said Fredrick Nyasani, an administrator at XCMG's Kenya office. "In an emergency like this, XCMG has both a responsibility and a duty to use our specialized equipment and technical personnel to make every effort to support Kenyan rescue teams in saving lives."
As of Oct. 25, government officials said five people were still missing and four were receiving hospital treatment.
XCMG's rescue team will continue supporting local rescue operations and remain at the site until its work is complete.
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