DAR ES SALAAM: PRIME Minister Kassim Majaliwa has said that several items recovered from the collapsed building in Kariakoo have been successfully returned to the identified owners, including large sums of money.
He said among the recovered items were more than 112.8m/-, 48,490 US dollars, 6,920 Kenyan shillings, and 631 Yuan.
Some of the money was found in sand, inside safe boxes and other were labelled with names
“These items and funds have been returned to the rightful owners,” he said.
Mr Majaliwa made the statement yesterday during a luncheon at the State House in Dar es Salaam, hosted by President Samia Suluhu Hassan to honour those who were involved in the search and rescue efforts following the collapse.
This event was part of a promise she made during her visit to the accident site in November last year.
The Premier said the rescue operation took place following the collapse of the building in Kariakoo.
All survivors were treated free of charge by the government, and it also funded the burial expenses, including the transportation of the deceased’s bodies.
Furthermore, he said the government continued with the recovery of assets and funds’ recovery of belonging to the business owners.
An estimated 2,044 bales and 10,051 bags of clothes, weighing around 850 tonnes, were found in the collapsed building. However, the building’s weight capacity was only 250 tonnes.
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The collapse of the building in Kariakoo, Dar es Salaam, occurred on November 16, 2024.
Besides the tragic loss of 31 lives and 71 injuries, as well as the destruction of property, the event caused widespread shock and sorrow throughout the nation.
“A sense of panic overwhelmed the citizens and business activities came to a standstill. The incident had a profound effect on Kariakoo and Dar es Salaam, halting all economic activities,” he said.
Mr Majaliwa said that in partnership with stakeholders, including the private sector, civil society organisations, religious institutions, the Kariakoo business community and individual citizens, the government took various measures to address the rescue.
He said these also included pro moting the enforcement of safety regulations, ensuring the availability of rescue resources and equipment and offering health and psychologi cal support services to the victims and rescuers.
“Among other actions, a special committee was formed to investigate the building’s collapse and conduct a thorough inspection of other build ings in the Kariakoo area.
The committee, whose members are present in this event, has concluded its work and the report is ready for presentation,” he said.
Earlier, Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner Albert Chalamila, speaking at the event, said there are several lessons learned from the Energy Summit held in the city. He said that because of the summit, cleanliness in the city had been achieved, which had previously seemed impossible.
“The government has laid out strategies to maintain the cleanliness of the city and make it an attractive destination both within Tanzania and beyond,” Mr Chalamila added.
The RC also addressed some challenges faced during the summit, particularly regarding hotels. He announced that a special committee would be formed next week to address the issue, focusing on visiting dilapidated buildings in the city and collaborating with stake holders to improve these structures for investment purposes.
Moreover, he revealed plans to improve tourist attractions like Coco Beach, a new investment plan to en hance access for international visitors.
“A special plan for the development of a conference park, including hotels and beachfront spaces, is already in place in Kigamboni, with plans to allocate at least 200 hectares for this purpose,” he said.
Mr Chalamila said the efforts are aimed at ensuring that Dar es Salaam is well-prepared to host large international conferences. Additionally, he mentioned that several other projects, including road improvements, are being implemented, with funds allocated by the President.
