Lyn Frans
The death toll form the karioko buiding collapse has risen from 8 to 13 ,with over 80 people severely injured and dozens more still trapped after a four-storey building collapsed in the centre of Tanzania’s commercial capital Dar es Salaam on Saturday according to reports.
Tanzanian rescue workers continued their efforts on Sunday, digging through the rubble of a collapsed building for a second day. Their hope is to find survivors trapped beneath the debris,
The four-storey building collapsed around 9:00 am (0600 GMT) on Saturday in the bustling Kariakoo market, located in the heart of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s commercial capital. Initially, only five deaths were reported, but the toll has since risen to 13, according to the presidency.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who is currently attending the G20 summit in Brazil, shared that at least 84 people have been rescued from the wreckage. However, there are still individuals believed to be trapped in the basement of the destroyed structure. Dar es Salaam’s regional commissioner, Albert Chalamila, mentioned that while they are in contact with those trapped, he did not specify how many remain inside.
“We are communicating with them and have already supplied oxygen and water,” Chalamila said. “They are stable, and we believe they will be rescued alive and safe.”
The search and rescue operations are facing challenges due to the complex layout of the building, as noted by fire brigade chief John Masunga. The cause of the collapse remains unclear, but witnesses reported that construction work aimed at expanding the underground business space had begun just a day before the disaster struck.
As rescue teams work tirelessly, the community holds its breath, hoping for more survivors to be found in the aftermath of this heartbreaking event.
He emphasized that the immediate priority is the ongoing rescue efforts, with a comprehensive audit of all buildings in Kariakoo to be led by Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa following the incident.
“The police need to gather all relevant information from the owner of the collapsed building to understand what transpired,” she stated.
In the chaotic moments after the collapse, hundreds of first responders tirelessly searched through the rubble using sledgehammers and their bare hands for hours, until cranes and heavy lifting equipment arrived to assist.
This tragic event has reignited concerns about unregulated construction practices in Dar es Salaam, a bustling Indian Ocean city with a population exceeding five million.
As one of the fastest-growing cities in the world, Dar es Salaam has experienced a rapid property boom, with buildings rising quickly and often without proper adherence to safety regulations.
This is not the first such tragedy; in 2013, a 16-storey building in the city collapsed, resulting in the deaths of 34 people.
The building in Kariakoo, the East African country’s busiest market, caved in as people were shopping in the morning.
