A multi-storey building under construction on the outskirts of Kenya’s capital has collapsed on a neighbouring home, killing two people, authorities said.

Three other people have been rescued alive from the family home in the Ruaka suburb of Nairobi.

A son of the couple killed in the collapse, Fredrick Kamau, told the Associated Press that “by the time the ambulance came they had already died”.

Household goods and furniture from the couple’s home were visible at the site as Mr Kamau displayed photos of the couple.

The early morning collapse is the second such incident this week as construction authorities warn over unpermitted buildings being built in the city and its outskirts.

On Tuesday, a multi-storey building collapsed in the Kasarani neighbourhood and construction workers were trapped inside.

Three people were confirmed dead from that incident, and the owner of the building, who is to be arrested and charged, has been on the run.

Building collapses are common in Nairobi, where housing is in high demand and developers often bypass regulations.

After eight buildings collapsed and killed 15 people in Kenya in 2015, the presidency ordered an audit of all the country’s buildings to see if they were up to code.

The National Construction Authority found that 58% of buildings in Nairobi were unfit for habitation.