Saturday May 6, 2023
Mogadishu (HOL) - Tragedy struck the Shangani district of Mogadishu on Friday night when an old house collapsed, killing at least four children aged between 10 and 15 years old.
The ancient house, like many in the area, had not been rebuilt and came crashing down at approximately 9:00 p.m. The collapse also left other family members wounded and in need of medical attention.
Emergency vehicles swiftly arrived at the scene, working to remove the children's bodies from the ruins of the building before transporting them to the hospital.
The children's father, Abdi Mohamed Halane, shared his heart-wrenching account of the tragedy with the media, 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.
Unfortunately, this is not an isolated incident. Many ancient buildings in Mogadishu's districts of Hamarweyne, Hamar Jabjab, Shangani, and Abdicaziz remain at risk of collapse without reconstruction, putting those living inside at risk. Heavy rains can cause these buildings to collapse, causing more casualties.
Shangani, which means "on the sand" in Swahili, is one of Mogadishu's oldest districts, along with Hamar Weyne.