Missing Eastleigh Woman’s Family Shares New Discovery as Rescue Operation Enters Day 9

A family searching for their missing daughter following the tragic collapse of a building in Eastleigh, Nairobi, has shared a disturbing development after repeated attempts to contact her reportedly went through, raising hopes that she could still be alive beneath the debris.

The family identified the missing woman as Auerilia Wanjiku, who has not been accounted for since the 18-storey building collapsed along Yusuf Haji Avenue on Friday, October 23, 2026.

Speaking to journalists on Saturday, October 31, her mother, Jude Rose Wanjiru, said they had repeatedly called her daughter’s phone number and discovered that the calls were being answered, although nobody responded when they tried to communicate.

Wanjiru explained that the family initially experienced difficulties reaching one of her daughter’s phone lines, prompting them to try another number.

According to her, the second number went through, but the person on the other end remained silent. The family claimed they could hear background sounds, including what appeared to be machinery operating near the collapse site.

She further revealed that they made another attempt on Saturday morning, with the call again being answered without any verbal response.

The family believes the phone could be somewhere beneath the collapsed structure, particularly because they reportedly heard excavators operating during the calls.

The development has raised hopes among relatives that Wanjiku could be among the 16 people still reported missing following the disaster.

Wanjiru described the emotional toll of the prolonged search, revealing that the family had been visiting the scene daily for nine days while waiting for information about their daughter.

She said the uncertainty had left her traumatised and unable to eat, especially following reports that a woman’s body had been recovered in a dismembered state.

The family has since presented the information to disaster response officials at the scene. The details were reportedly forwarded to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), which is investigating the source of the phone signals.

Meanwhile, rescue teams are preparing to enter the tenth day of the operation on Sunday, November 1, with attention expected to shift towards the rear section of the collapsed building, where additional victims are believed to be trapped.

Responders have indicated that they intend to conclude the rescue exercise on Sunday as the search continues for those still unaccounted for.

The building collapsed on October 23, triggering a multi-agency emergency operation involving rescue personnel, security officers and other government agencies.

As investigations into the phone signals continue, the family is holding on to the possibility of finding Wanjiku alive, even as the rescue operation approaches another critical stage.

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