Rescue Ends in Tanzania Building Collapse as Death Toll Rises to 29

People attend the scene of a building that collapsed in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Steven Genya)

10:35 AM EST, November 26, 2024

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania (AP) — Rescue operations at a building that collapsed in Tanzania’s commercial capital have ended after 10 days as the number of dead rose to 29, the government spokesperson said Tuesday.

The owner of the building in Dar Es Salaam’s Kariakoo area, which is popular among traders, was arrested and investigations into the Nov. 16 collapse are ongoing, spokesperson Thobias Makoba told reporters.

More than 80 people were rescued from the four-story building that housed dozens of shops.

President Samia Suluhu Hassan has ordered an audit of all buildings in the area, where most businesses reopened since the search ended.

Building collapses are common during the rainy season in the East African country and are often blamed on poor construction.