President Macky Sall announced on Wednesday that seven people lost their lives and numerous others were injured following the collapse of a residential building undergoing construction in Dakar, Senegal’s capital.
The incident occurred at 1:00 am (0100 GMT) on Tuesday, according to Martial Ndione, commander of the fire and rescue unit of the fire department.
Dakar, undergoing rapid demographic and economic growth, has witnessed a surge in construction, often lacking proper regulation and official permits.
Expressing his sorrow on X (formerly Twitter), President Sall stated, “I am deeply saddened by the tragic collapse of a building in Xaar Yalla, causing seven deaths and serious injuries. I extend my heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and wish a speedy recovery to the injured.”
Fire and rescue commander Ndione provided a provisional death toll of five, along with information that 12 others sustained injuries in the incident.
Building collapses are unfortunately common in Africa, with a recent incident in Guinea in July 2023 resulting in five fatalities from the collapse of two under-construction buildings. Similarly, in the same month, a building collapse in Ivory Coast claimed six lives.