The city of Touba was rocked by tragedy once again in the early hours of Wednesday, June 25, as a four-storey building under construction collapsed in the Darou Miname neighbourhood, crushing an adjacent home and killing three people.
Two others sustained critical injuries and were rushed to Matlaboul Fawzayni Hospital.
The deadly collapse marks the second such disaster in just one month.
On May 25, a building in Darou Khoudoss also crumbled, claiming the lives of eleven people. With fifteen fatalities recorded in thirty days, pressure is mounting on authorities to confront what many see as a chronic failure in construction oversight in Senegal’s holy Mouride city.
In response to the latest incident, the Governor of the Diourbel region visited the site, offering condolences to grieving families and announcing the immediate halt of all construction projects deemed non-compliant.
Crucially, the governor stated this action would be coordinated with the Khalif General of the Mourides—a move seen as essential in a city where religious authority remains central to governance.
“We will consult with the Khalif so that all irregular worksites are shut down. We must act together to prevent more tragedies,” the governor said.
An investigation has been launched by the Touba special police station under the command of Modou Tine. Authorities will examine potential violations including the use of substandard materials, absence of permits, and lack of engineering oversight.
Preliminary reports suggest that poor regulation and unchecked urban expansion have turned many neighbourhoods into zones of structural risk.
As the city continues to modernise, the absence of rigorous technical inspections has allowed unsafe construction to flourish.
The incidents in Darou Miname and Darou Khoudoss have now become grim catalysts for reform.
Officials are calling for a comprehensive overhaul of construction regulations in Touba, including stricter accountability for developers and expanded authority for inspection bodies.
Amid the mourning, the message is clear: every unregulated building site poses not only a legal failure but a potential mass grave.
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