Rescuers have pulled four people out of the rubble of a building which collapsed in Kiamaiko area of Mathare neighbourhood of Kenya’s capital on Tuesday but more were suspected to be trapped in the debris, the Kenya Red Cross said.

Mathare, in the east of Nairobi, is home to several hundred thousand people and one of the city’s largest informal settlements, where planning regulations are poorly enforced.

“Three out of the four rescued have been taken to a nearby health facility, while one with minor injuries was treated at the scene,” the Red Cross wrote on social media platform X.

The building was undergoing demolition when it collapsed, the Red Cross said.

Mathare was inundated with floodwater this month when the Mathare River, which runs through it, burst its banks after heavy rains, killing dozens and forcing thousands of people to leave their homes.

The four were rescued by a team of Kenya Red Cross personnel dispatched to the site after several people were reportedly trapped in the incident that occurred on Tuesday afternoon.

Out of the four people, three were taken to a nearby health facility, while one who had minor injuries was treated at the scene.

• A Tell / Reuters report