More bodies, including those of two children, have been pulled out of the rubble of the building that collapsed in Tanzania's economic capital of Dar es Salaam, bringing the toll to 17, a local government official said Saturday.
"So far the number of people who are dead is 17. This includes two children," regional commissioner Saidi Mecky Sadicky told AFP.
He said rescuers were still looking for two children.
Several dozen people in all are still missing around the site, which was littered with huge chunks of concrete.
"The operation is still going on but we have very little hope to find anyone alive," Sadicky said.
Eighteen people have been rescued alive from the remains of the 16-storey building that came crashing down on Friday morning, he said.
Hundreds of rescuers worked through the night in search of those still trapped in the rubble from the shell of the tower, which was being built near a mosque in the Kisutu area of Tanzania's economic capital.
Sadicky said between 60 and 70 people were reported to have been at or near the construction site Friday morning, meaning that between 25 and 35 people could still be trapped.
Hundreds of people, including residents and army rescuers, clawed through piles of rubble in the hunt for survivors, alongside earthmovers and excavators.
"I thought there was an earthquake and then I heard screaming. The whole building fell on itself," witness Musa Mohamed told AFP on Friday shortly after the collapse
Sadicky said the rescue team was boosted Friday evening after the Chinese embassy told Chinese construction firms to provide additional earthmoving equipment.
Dozens of Chinese construction workers were at the site Saturday morning instructing operators of excavators and forklifts that were sifting through the rubble.
Local residents turned out to supply rescuers with food, water and medication.
Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete visited the scene of the disaster in the coastal city and posted messages of condolence on his Twitter account.
"We pray for those who have been afflicted by this tragedy," he said. "We pray for togetherness in this time of need," he added.
In 2008, another building that collapsed in Dar es Salaam claimed at least four lives.
"It looks like the city authorities are not serious with the enforcement of construction and housing laws. Incidents of collapsing buildings are on the increase," resident Rashid Abdallah said.
The ill-fated building is a joint project between the state-owned National Housing Corporation and Ladha Construction Limited being built under a private public partnership arrangement.
Sadicky said investigations into the cause of the accident are underway and police are holding the owners of the building and officials from both the construction firm and Dar es Salaam City Council for questioning.
Kikwete ordered on Friday that those responsible should be taken to task.
AFP
Sat Mar 30 2013
Chegubard akan kemuka representasi gugur tuduhan fitnah
Badrul Hisham Shaharin atau Chegubard akan mengemukakan representasi bagi menggugurkan pertuduhan mengeluarkan kenyataan fitnah yang akan merosakkan nama baik Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim, Januari lepas.
Na'imah gagal tangguh sementara bayar RM313.82 juta kepada LHDN
Isteri bekas Menteri Kewangan, Tun Daim Zainuddin, Toh Puan Na'imah Abdul Khalid gagal menangguhkan sementara perintah supaya membayar tunggakan cukai pendapatan berjumlah RM313.82 juta kepada LHDN.
Tiga termasuk dua pegawai penguat kuasa, Pulau Pinang ditahan
Dua pegawai agensi penguat kuasa dan seorang warga Bangladesh ditahan Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM) Pulau Pinang kerana dipercayai terbabit mengatur kemasukan warga asing menerusi laluan kaunter khas di Lapangan Terbang Antarabangsa Pulau Pinang.
Terus perangi Rasuah, peruntukan SPRM ditingkatkan kepada RM360 juta
Kerajaan memberi kebebasan sepenuhnya kepada Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM) menyiasat dan mengambil tindakan tegas bagi mengheret pesalah rasuah ke muka pengadilan.
Belanjawan 2025: RM150 juta kepada PBT dan JPS, RM600 juta kepada NADMA
Anwar berkata pengurusan bencana negara terus ditambah baik di samping menyegerakan pelaksanaan projek tebatan banjir melibatkan kerjasama semua kontraktor.
Sektor pendidikan terima RM64.1 bilion, tertinggi dalam sejarah
Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim memberitahu Kementerian Pendidikan diberi peruntukan RM64.1 bilion peruntukan tertinggi dalam sejarah.
Kerajaan meluluskan Forest City sebagai Pulau Bebas Cukai - PM
Skim Pejabat Keluarga Tunggal telah diluncurkan untuk Zon Kewangan Khas Forest City bagi menggalakkan pengurusan dana Keluarga, kata PM Anwar Ibrahim
Belanjawan 2025: Ada ibu bapa warga emas? Ini manfaat membabitkan mereka
Belanjawan 2025 menaikkan bantuan bulanan untuk warga emas serta memperluaskan pelepasan cukai berkaitan penjagaan kesihatan dan sukan.
Peruntukan RM6.7 bilion pacu pembangunan Sabah
Cadangan peruntuk RM6.7 bilion untuk Sabah 2025 memadai untuk meneruskan projek pembangunan pada tahun akhgir Rancangan Malaysia Ke-12 (RMK12).
Perkhidmatan komuniti bergerak di Sabah, Sarawak diperluas
Tambahnya Bank Simpanan Nasional (BSN) bergerak ditambah empat lagi menjadikan 12 buah terutamanya untuk Sabah dan Sarawak bagi memudahkan penyaluran bantuan kerajaan.