Tuesday July 21, 2020
Ambulance and rescue workers on the scene of a building collapse in Mogadishu on July 20, 2020.
Mogadishu (HOL) - The governor of Benadir region and the mayor of Mogadishu, Omar Mohamud Mohamed (Finnish), announced that 17 civilians had been rescued after a three-storey building collapsed on Monday, at least three people have been killed.
Ambulances from the Benadir Regional Administration and residents worked to save victims trapped under the building in the historic Hamar Weyne district.
Finnish said the rescue mission was nearing completion and added that five people have non-life-threatening injuries for which they are receiving treatment.
Hamar Weyne, Mogadishu's 'old town' is an ancient enclave dating back to medieval times.
Finnish worries that the ancient buildings are vulnerable to seasonal rains, furthering the likelihood of collapse.
In 2016, a mosque under refurbishment had collapsed in Mogadishu's Dayniile district claimed the lives of at least 15 people and injured 40 after heavy rains.