Following the tragic collapse of a building under construction in Koumassi Soweto (South Abidjan) on Saturday, May 23, 2026, the Minister of Urban Planning, Housing, and Living Environment, Moussa Sanogo, visited the site. In light of this tragedy, which claimed several lives, the Minister strongly called for stricter building compliance inspections.

A heavy human toll and emergency measures

The alert was given early in the morning, at 05:55. The building in question, a five-story building under construction, completely collapsed.

1. Human toll: Rescue operations have recovered several bodies from the rubble (the provisional death toll is 4 to 5). The search continues actively for any other possible victims.
2. Securing the site: As a precaution, a neighboring residential building, severely weakened by the disaster, was immediately evacuated.

The minister was keen to personally commend the professionalism and responsiveness of the firefighters mobilized on the ground, while also conveying the government's compassion and support to the families affected by this tragedy.

Immediate investigations and zero tolerance

Moussa Sanogo demanded the immediate opening of a rigorous investigation to shed light on the exact causes of this disaster and to determine responsibility.

“We absolutely must strengthen our anticipation and control capabilities, particularly during this rainy season when the risks of collapse are greatly increased.” – Moussa Sanogo

Towards a strengthening of surveillance brigades

This tragic event underscores the urgent need to enforce architectural standards in Côte d'Ivoire. The minister noted that the government had already initiated reforms, notably by allocating increased resources to the inspection teams responsible for monitoring construction sites. The objective now is to accelerate this deployment to eradicate unregulated and dangerous construction.