AS rescue teams continued with efforts to rescue people trapped under the rubbles of a collapsed building in Kariakoo, Dar es Salaam, survivors recounted the harrowing details of the tragedy.
The four-storey building collapsed on Saturday morning in the heart of the city, where since then, 13 people were confirmed dead out of the 84 people rescued.
In an update on Sunday, according to President Samia Suluhu Hassan out of the 84, some 26 were still in hospital for treatment. One of the survivors, Mr Hassan Mwampamba, a trader in Kariakoo, recalled the moment the building began to shake. He said he was in his office on the building’s underground floor when the tremors started.
“There was a huge shaking and instantly I saw my colleagues running toward the exits. But we didn’t make it—everything was collapsing and thereafter we were covered by rubbles,” he said.
Finally, all 26 of us were rescued
Mr Mwampamba explained that after only taking a few steps to escape, he and several other traders were trapped. However, he was relieved to find that the area where they were stuck had enough breathing space, with bottles of water nearby, though the air was thick and difficult to breathe.
“We were about 26 people in that spot. We encouraged each other to stay calm and to look for a way to signal for help,” he said. Eventually, the survivors managed to find a small hole that allowed light and sound to penetrate.”
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They used a stick to widen the hole and called for help. “We were able to signal and call out to the rescue team. Finally, all 26 of us were rescued,” he said. However, Mr Mwampamba added that they were unable to rescue two people who remained trapped beneath the floor where they were stuck.
A witness, Mr Nassoro Athumani, a cloth vendor in Kariakoo, said the building collapsed around 8:00 am when many people, including early-morning shoppers, were inside the underground shops.
“There were many people, some of whom were just passing by,” said Mr Athumani. He managed to escape the building and later helped rescue fellow traders who were trapped under the rubble. Another survivor, Ms Happy Baltazar, thanked the rescue team for their dedication. “The government deployed the right team to save us.
They worked with our relatives to locate us and did everything they could to help,” Ms Baltazar said. She was trapped under the rubble from 8:00 am on Saturday until 9:00 am on Sunday, along with nine others.
She also praised the rescue team for supplying oxygen
“We were stuck and kept calling for help, shouting, ‘Quality Fashion Shop, there are ten people!’ It was hard, but eventually, we were rescued,” she said.
Ms Baltazar described the difficulty of being reached, as they were covered by heavy rubble, including steel beams and furniture.
“The rescue team managed to dig through carefully without causing further harm to us. Any use of excessive force could have trapped us deeper under the debris,” she said.
She also praised the rescue team for supplying oxygen, while they were still trapped. “May God bless all the rescue workers for their efforts,” she added.
