The Medina, an emblematic district of Dakar, was the scene of a tragic accident, on the night of Wednesday November 6 to Thursday November 7, 2024.
Around 2 a.m., a terrible crash shook the residents of rue 3, Angle rue 8. A balcony located on the fourth floor of a building suddenly collapsed, swallowing everything in its path and causing the death of Mamadou Bobou Ba, a young man aged around twenty, coffee seller on rue 6.
According to neighbors’ testimonies, the noise of the collapse was so violent that it woke up the entire neighborhood. Some saw the debris of the balcony crashing suddenly to the ground, taking with them the life of young Mamadou, who had apparently fallen asleep under the same balcony, tired after a day of work. “He wasn’t used to sleeping here, it’s when God decides to take us that nothing can stop him,” confides Amadou Ba, his cousin, visibly overwhelmed by the loss.
The rapid intervention of firefighters allowed the scene to be evacuated and the victim’s lifeless body to be recovered. She was transported to Dalal Diam hospital for formalities. Emergency services also secured the building, where residents had to be evacuated for safety reasons. Some found refuge with relatives, while others were directed to another building owned by the owner, while awaiting a more stable solution.
The community, shocked and saddened, asks itself many questions. How could a balcony, apparently without cracks or signs of disrepair, collapse so suddenly and violently? Residents, worried about their safety, point to possible shortcomings in the construction of the building and call on the authorities for a thorough investigation.
The mayor of the commune, Bamba Fall, as well as the sub-prefect, quickly traveled to the scene to take stock of the situation. While the emotion was palpable, the authorities insisted on the need to learn lessons from this tragedy in order to prevent such a tragedy from happening again.
Mamadou Ba’s family, already bereaved by the loss of the young man’s father and mother, still finds itself in deep distress.
This tragedy raises crucial questions about the safety of buildings and the responsibility of the authorities in the face of the deterioration of certain infrastructures. The inhabitants of the Medina, deeply affected, are waiting for answers and concrete measures to guarantee their security. In this ordeal, tears and pain are shared, but the anxiety of everyday life sets in when faced with an unexpected reality.
Karim Ndiaye
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