Tanzanian Government Says Rescue Efforts Will Continue at Collapsed Building Where 13 Died

9:45 AM EST, November 18, 2024

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania (AP) — Rescue efforts continued for a third day Monday after a building collapsed and killed at least 13 people in Tanzania’s commercial capital, with the government saying it will push on until all those trapped inside are saved.

The number of people trapped was unclear. Several people have told local media they have lost contact with relatives who they believed were inside.

More than 80 people have been rescued from the four-story building that housed dozens of shops and collapsed Saturday morning in Dar Es Salaam.

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan said Sunday that more than 20 people were receiving medical treatment and the government would cover the costs.

She ordered an audit of all buildings in Dar Es Salaam’s Kariakoo area, which is popular among traders, and asked police to obtain the ownership and construction permits for the collapsed building.

It is currently the rainy season, when building collapses are common in the East African country. Buildings that collapse are often found to have violated construction regulations.