13 killed in Tanzania quarry collapse

At least 13 people were killed in the northern Tanzanian city of Arusha when the sides of a quarry caved in, a local official said Tuesday. "There are 13 dead but rescuers managed to save two people," said Mulongo Magessa, governor of Arusha province, of the accident that took place on Monday, days after a building collapse killed 36 people in the east African nation's commercial capital. Those who died were believed to have been digging in the small quarry for rocks and sand for construction. Tanzania has been hit by heavy seasonal rains causing flash floods. Meanwhile, rescuers said they had ended the search in the port city of Dar es Salaam four days after the building collapse, saying the final number killed in that accident was 36. "We have now called off the rescue operation," the city's commissioner Saidi Mecky Sadicky told reporters. Two children were among the dead. Local residents had turned out to supply rescuers with food, water and medication. "I want to thank all those who participated in this exercise, the people of Dar es Salaam and Tanzania will forever be grateful," Sadicky added. Between 60 and 70 were initially thought to have been around the partially-built 16-storey building when it came crashing down on Friday morning in the Kisutu area of the coastal city. Sadicky said investigations were continuing into the cause of the building collapse, and that police were holding eight people for questioning.