Zanzibar, Oman to probe House of Wonders incident
Dar es Salaam. The governments of Zanzibar and Oman have announced to open investigations into the partial collapse of the House of Wonders (Beit Al Ajaib) in Zanzibar that happened on Friday killing two people, as per more reports received yesterday.
For its part, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) has also expressed its readiness to support on-going efforts of the Zanzibar’s government.
Yesterday, the government through Tourism and Antiquities minister Lela Mohamed Mussa issued a statement saying a probe team would be formed to investigate the incident.“The team shall be tasked with uncovering every angle related to the matter so that appropriate measures would be taken,” reads the statement in part.
She reiterated government’s resolve with support from donors to rebuild the Beit Al Ajaib on the same location so that it would remain an icon of the Stone Town.
Ms Mussa called on for patience and calm, promising that government would take appropriate measures upon discovering presence of elements of negligence or sabotage from an individual or institution.
Muscat media reported yesterday that the Oman’s Ministry of Heritage and Tourism that was funding the rehabilitation of the partly collapsed building would form a team involving all parties to investigate the tragedy. “The team will find out the causes and determine the urgent and necessary measures to preserve and protect the building,” the government said in a statement.
The statement says the ministry was following with regret the partial collapse of the building as the funding body for the comprehensive restoration, maintenance and rehabilitation project. Muscat has committed Sh10 billion for the project.
Speaking after visiting survivors at the Mnazi Mmoja Referral Hospital yesterday, Zanzibar President Hussein Ali Mwinyi ordered security organs to carry comprehensive and immediate investigations.
“Buildings with poor condition should be evaluated before closing for renovation. Authorities should also suggest how to safely carry out restoration,” he instructed.
Separately, Zanzibar’s First Vice President Seif Sharif Hamad said, after visiting survivors and the accident scene, that the government will cover costs of burial of the dead and treatment of survivors.
“Responsible institutions should study and review strength of all historical buildings and take immediate renovation measures for those that would be found in poor state to prevent similar incidents,” he said.
For his part, Second Vice President Hemed Suleiman Abdulla assured survivors that hospital bills would be covered by the government until they recover fully.
Mnazi Mmoja Referral Hospital acting chief medical officer Marijan Msafiri told the Second Vice President that two of the four survivors had to be examined more closely as they sustained serious leg injuries.
Yesterday, Mjini Magharibi Regional Police Commander (RPC) Awadhi Juma Haji said two bodies had been recovered in the wee hours of yesterday during the on-going rescue efforts. “The body of Pande Haji Makame, 39, a resident of Bumbwini in Kaskazini Unguja who died after sustaining serious injuries in the head and chest was recovered at midnight,” he said.
According to him, the second casualty was identified as Burhani Ameir Makuno, 34, a resident of Mtoni Kidatu, whose body was found at 2am yesterday.
He said both bodies were then taken to the Mnazi Mmoja Referral Hospital where relatives identified them and they were allowed to collect the bodies for burial.
Immediately after the incident, the director of Unesco’s World Heritage Centre, Ms Mechtild Rössler, said the world body was ready to support Zanzibar restoration efforts.
She said her body joined the people of Zanzibar and Tanzania in mourning the sudden and significant loss of the property inscribed on the World Heritage List since 2000. “We are in contact with the Stone Town Conservation and Development Authority (STCDA) which is currently carrying rescue operation and will soon start carrying preliminary assessment of the damage brought by the collapse,” said Ms Rössler shortly after the accident.
She said Unesco was confident that the authorities would carry out the necessary emergency actions and assessments to understand causes of the damage and propose solutions to safeguard the monument which is an essential component contributing to the outstanding universal value of the site.
Speaking on Unesco’s commitment, Ms Mussa said as of yesterday morning, she was unaware of any official communication between the global body and STCDA.
“Since Unesco is obliged to preserve cultural heritages and monuments, the government is waiting to see the type of support that would be provided to the Isles,” she said over the phone. Construction of the House of Wonders was completed in 1883. (Additional reporting by Haji Mtumwa)
President Mwinyi, the Second Vice President, Mr Abdulla were among many government officials who arrived at the scene immediately after the accident.
The Tourism minister and some stakeholders described the incident as a huge loss to the tourism industry in Zanzibar.
The House of Wonders which is the largest and tallest building in Zanzibar is located at the world’s heritage site of Stone Town.
Construction of the building that attracts tourists from all corners of the world was completed in 1883.
(Additional reporting by Haji Mtumwa)
