Tragedy struck Mogadishu’s Shangani district on Friday night when an old house collapsed, killing at least four children aged between 10 and 15 years old.
The building, like many in the area, had not been rebuilt and came crashing down at approximately 9:00 p.m., leaving other family members wounded and in desperate need of medical attention.
Emergency teams swiftly arrived at the scene, including rescue workers and ambulances, working tirelessly to free the children’s bodies from the collapsed house before taking them to the hospital.
The father of the children, Abdi Mohamed Halane, shared his heart-wrenching account of the tragedy with journalists, revealing that one of the walls of the house collapsed while his children slept, leaving them with no chance of survival.
“The house was an old building located by the beach. The oldest child was 15 years old, and the youngest was ten years old. Allah had given them to me, and now he has taken them away,” Halane said.
Regrettably, this is not an isolated incident, with ancient buildings in Mogadishu’s districts of Hamarweyne, Hamar Jabjab, Shangani, and Abdicaziz remaining at risk of collapse without reconstruction, placing those living inside at risk. Heavy rains, which are common in the region, can cause these buildings to collapse, leading to more casualties.
Shangani, meaning “on the sand” in Swahili, is one of Mogadishu’s oldest districts, alongside Hamar Weyne. The devastating incident highlights the critical need for the authorities to take action to ensure that ancient buildings are reconstructed and that those living within them are safe from the risk of a catastrophic collapse.
District Commissioner, Aweys Amudi expressed sorrow over deadly incident that happened in his district and called poor families living inside such buildings or nearby to alert district authorities about possible threats.
The Parents said that they could not afford to hire better house and demanded support for the rest of the family at moment.
