Tanzania has raised the death toll from the November 16 building collapse in Dar es Salaam to 29, government officials confirmed on Tuesday.
Chief government spokesperson Tobias Makoba announced that debris removal at the site in Kariakoo, a bustling commercial area, had been completed.
“The number of deaths increased to 29 after more bodies were recovered,” Makoba said, noting that three victims remain unidentified and are undergoing DNA testing.
Two injured individuals are still receiving treatment in hospital.
The disaster has drawn attention to lax building standards in Dar es Salaam, one of the world’s fastest-growing cities. President Samia Suluhu Hassan has pledged to improve construction safety regulations, stating that a report from a newly established commission to inspect Kariakoo buildings will be made public.
The collapse occurred as shoppers crowded the area, underscoring the risks posed by unregulated construction in high-traffic zones.
This is not the first such tragedy in Dar es Salaam. In 2013, a 16-storey building collapse claimed 34 lives. The latest incident highlights the urgent need to enforce building standards in a rapidly expanding city of five million people.
