Nairobi — Twenty-two people have been rescued after a building collapsed in Kericho County on Wednesday, with four of the survivors in critical condition, the Kenya Red Cross said in an update on Wednesday.

The collapse occurred in the Kaptebeswet Bypass area, where emergency crews have been conducting search and rescue operations since the incident was reported earlier in the evening.

According to the Red Cross, seventeen of those rescued sustained minor injuries and were treated at the scene, while four others were rushed to hospital in critical condition.

"Twenty-two people have been rescued following the building collapse in the Kaptebeswet Bypass area, Kericho County," the agency said.

"Seventeen sustained minor injuries and received first aid at the scene, while four are in critical condition."

Multiple response teams were deployed to the site, including the Kenya Red Cross, Kenya Police Service, the County Fire Brigade, three county ambulances, and officials from the National Government Administrative Officers (NGAO).

Authorities had earlier warned that several people were feared trapped beneath the rubble, prompting a large-scale emergency response. Rescue efforts continued late into Wednesday as teams worked to account for all individuals believed to have been inside the structure.

The cause of the collapse was not immediately clear.

The incident comes just two days after another building collapse in Nairobi's Shauri Moyo area, which left four people dead and four others rescued.

Officials said that structure had been undergoing partial demolition when it gave way.