The troubling story behind Friday evening’s fatal collapse in the Médina

On October 16, 2026, part of the façade and balcony of a three-storey building collapsed at the intersection of Streets 17 and 20, near Tilène market in Dakar’s Médina district. The collapse killed a coffee seller and injured three people. The Médina town hall confirmed that residents had received a notice to leave nearly two years earlier, yet the building remained occupied. A municipal employee cited legal constraints in landlord-tenant relations, raising questions about how warnings and safety measures were followed up and enforced.