At least five people lost their lives and dozens sustained injuries when a four-storey building collapsed on Saturday morning in Kariakoo, the bustling heart of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s commercial capital.
The building, situated in one of East Africa’s busiest markets, gave way as shoppers crowded the area. Rescuers, including hundreds of volunteers and emergency personnel, worked tirelessly using bare hands, drills, sledgehammers, and excavators in a desperate search for survivors.
“There is the possibility that more people are still trapped in the basement,” said fire brigade commander Peter Mtui during a briefing at the site.
The Tanzania Red Cross Society confirmed via social media platform X that at least 56 people had been rescued and transported to various hospitals for treatment.
Eyewitnesses told The Citizen newspaper that the building had begun expanding its underground business space on Friday, raising questions about whether the construction activities contributed to the collapse.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan expressed her sorrow over the incident, stating she was “saddened” by the news. The president departed Tanzania on Saturday for the G20 summit in Brazil but assured citizens that emergency teams were fully mobilized.
The tragedy has reignited concerns about construction standards in Tanzania. The country’s growing population and robust economy have spurred a construction boom, but rapid development has often been accompanied by lax oversight.
Dar es Salaam, a port city on the Indian Ocean with over five million residents, is among the fastest-growing cities globally, according to the World Bank. However, its rapid urban expansion has underscored the need for stricter building regulations and enforcement to prevent such disasters.
