Survivors Still Trapped After Deadly Tanzania Building Collapse

Rescue operations are ongoing in Tanzania’s commercial capital, Dar es Salaam, as workers race against time to save people trapped beneath the rubble of a four-storey building that collapsed in the Kariakoo market area on Saturday morning.

Rescue Efforts Continue

The collapse, which occurred around 9:00 am local time, has so far claimed five lives, while 70 survivors have been rescued, according to the fire brigade. Authorities are focusing efforts on reaching individuals trapped in the basement of the building.

Dar es Salaam regional commissioner Albert Chalamila stated on Sunday that they had established communication with some of the trapped individuals and were supplying them with oxygen and water.

“They are stable, and we believe they will be rescued alive and safe,” Chalamila assured.

Fire brigade chief John Masunga noted that the search was complicated by the building’s intricate wall structures, slowing progress.

A City’s Growing Pain

The building’s collapse has reignited concerns over unregulated construction in Dar es Salaam, a rapidly growing city with a population exceeding five million.

Witnesses reported that the building was undergoing construction to expand its underground business space a day before the collapse, raising suspicions about safety violations.

This tragedy is not isolated; in 2013, a 16-storey building collapse in Dar es Salaam resulted in 34 fatalities.

Calls for Action

The incident has sparked fresh criticism of lax enforcement of construction regulations amid a property boom. Experts and residents are calling for stricter oversight to prevent further disasters in the Indian Ocean city.

Meanwhile, the priority remains the safe recovery of those still trapped, with heavy machinery and hundreds of responders working tirelessly to clear the debris.