Dar Es Salaam building collapse kills 13
Rescue operations entered their third day following the collapse of a four-story commercial building in Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, with the death toll reaching 13 people. At least 84 people have been rescued from the rubble of the structure, which housed numerous shops in the busy Kariakoo market area.
Regional commissioner Albert Chalamila confirmed that some survivors remain trapped in the building's basement, with rescue teams providing them oxygen and water. Fire brigade chief John Masunga noted that the complex building structure has complicated rescue efforts, though operations continue with determination.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan announced that over 20 survivors are receiving medical treatment, with the government covering all costs. She has ordered a comprehensive audit of all buildings in the Kariakoo area and directed police to investigate the collapsed building's ownership and construction permits.
Tanzania's Prime Minister, Kassim Majaliwa, said: "I want to assure all Tanzanians that the rescue operation is ongoing. The Commissioner General, along with all security agencies, is leading the effort to ensure it continues until everyone is accounted for. This operation will not stop; it will go on until we can confirm that all the business people who were here have been rescued. We will be grateful to God if we manage to bring them all out alive."
The incident occurred Saturday morning around 9 AM local time, initially prompting hundreds of first responders to search through the rubble with basic tools before heavy equipment arrived. The cause of the collapse remains unclear, though witnesses reported that construction work to expand underground business space had begun just a day before the incident.
This collapse has reignited concerns about unregulated construction in Dar Es Salaam, one of the world's fastest-growing cities with over five million inhabitants. The incident occurs during the rainy season, when building collapses are more common in Tanzania, often due to violations of construction regulations.
