Tough lesson, tough action

• Samia says no substandard building will remain standing

DAR ES SALAAM: PRESIDENT Samia Suluhu Hassan stated that the government has learned a tough lesson from the Kariakoo building collapse and announced that rigorous inspections will be conducted on all buildings in the area to ensure safety and prevent similar tragedies in the future.

Speaking at the site of the collapsed building yesterday shortly after landing from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where she attended the G20 Summit, she said after a thorough inspection all substandard structures will be demolished.

“This incident has sent a strong message and a lesson to the government and all of us. We will conduct a thorough inspection and assess the safety of buildings in the Kariakoo area,” Dr Samia said after she was updated by Prime Minister on the progress of rescuing survivors trapped under the collapsed building.

President Samia said, in line with her directives, Prime Minister Majaliwa had already formed a commission of 20 individuals to inspect the quality of buildings in Kariakoo.

The commission’s findings will be made public. “If the commission recommends demolishing buildings that do not meet the standards, we will demolish them without hesitation,” President Samia said.

She also said that in its implementation, the commission will also use the findings from two previous commissions that conducted inspections of buildings at Kariakoo area in 2013.

Moreover, Dr Samia said that despite the government’s significant efforts to rescue people trapped in the rubbles of the collapsed building, the death toll has reached 20, and currently, there are three injured people receiving treatment in the hospital.

She called on government officials to fully fulfill their duties, as the incident shows there may be operational shortcomings.

“The building owner likely obtained permits from government institutions but the quality was not properly monitored during the construction process,” she added.

The president further said that the incident is one of the major disasters to have occurred in the country and is the third disaster since she assumed power.

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“From what I saw, it must be traumatic for survivors. I urge them (survivors) not to be discouraged, to stay strong and continue with their daily activities,” she said. President Samia also commended all the government teams, private sectors and businesspeople for their efforts in the rescue operations.

On the other hand, President Samia instructed that in areas where there is no danger, people should continue with their businesses, but in areas nearby, they should stay away from the collapsed structure.

On his part, Prime Minister Majaliwa said that once the rescue operation is completed, all businesspersons will be called to collect their belongings.

“Currently, the ongoing operation is to remove all the goods from the top of the leaning building using cranes to prevent it from total collapsing,” he said.

He added that the work on the building is still ongoing and he will continue to update President Samia and follow all advice and directives she provides.

The Commissioner General of the Fire and Rescue Force, John Masunga, said that the building has been punctured to create multiple access points for search and rescue operations.

He said the rescue operation was a bit challenging due to the building being filled with goods. The four-storey building collapsed on Saturday, causing panic among Tanzanians.

The building, located at the junction of Congo and Mchikichini Streets in the heart of Tanzania’s bustling business hub, housed various shops, including clothing stores.

As the operation continued, by Monday evening at around 10:00 pm on person was rescued, bringing the total number of survivors to 87 and 20 fatalities.