At least five people are dead and 56 rescued after a building collapse in Kariakoo, the bustling commercial hub of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
The collapse occurred as people were shopping, leaving rescuers scrambling to free those trapped under the rubble. Fire brigade commander Peter Mtui told reporters that there was a possibility of more people being stuck in the basement.
Hundreds of rescuers, including fire personnel and civilians, worked tirelessly using bare hands, drills, and sledgehammers alongside excavators. The Tanzania Red Cross Society reported that 56 people had been rescued and transported to various hospitals.
Eyewitnesses said that the building had been undergoing underground business expansion a day before its collapse.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan, who left Tanzania on Saturday to attend the G20 summit in Brazil, expressed her sorrow over the incident.
Dar es Salaam, home to over five million people, has been experiencing rapid urban expansion due to Tanzania’s growing population and economy. However, the fast pace of construction has raised concerns about building standards.
This tragedy follows a similar incident in 2013, when a 16-storey building in the city collapsed, claiming 34 lives.
