Emmanuel Kafe
A young woman lost her life whilst six others sustained injuries when the balcony of a dilapidated building at the intersection of Chinhoyi Street and Bank Street in Harare’s central business district collapsed on Saturday.
The incident occurred shortly after rains fell in the capital in the afternoon.
National police spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the incident and said law-enforcement agents were investigating the case.
“I can confirm that one person died when a building in the CBD collapsed,” he said. “Six other people were injured. Two are in critical condition and have since been rushed to the hospital. We will release a full statement tomorrow (today) after informing their next of kin.”
Lack of maintenance is suspected to have compromised the building’s structural integrity, resulting in the collapse.
Mr Prosper Murengami, who sustained minor injuries while trying to help victims, believes the rain weakened the already deteriorating structure.
“It just happened as everyone was sheltering from the rain,” he said.
Another witness, who refused to be named, said he watched in horror as the woman died.
“When the building collapsed, it trapped the woman who was walking alongside her companion. Despite the desperate efforts by bystanders to rescue her, the woman succumbed to her injuries.”
The man, who was in the company of the deceased woman when the building collapsed, was among the injured. – The Sunday Mail
