AN unknown number of people is feared dead while several were injured after the balcony of a dilapidated building collapsed in central Harare on Saturday afternoon.

The sad incident happened at the corner of Chinhoyi and Bank Streets in Zimbabwe's capital city.

The tragedy underscores the urgent need to address the deteriorating state of many buildings, which pose a serious risk to public safety, not just in Harare but across all major cities and towns.

Renowned filmmaker and journalist, Hopewell Chino'ono attributed the incident to the country's comatose economy.

"The collapse of the Zimbabwean economy has brought down the standards expected for city buildings due to corrupt rule and incompetence," Chino'ono posted on X.

Efforts to get comment from police and fire brigade proved fruitless by the time of publishing.(MORE TO FOLLOW).