14-story building collapses in Egypt, injuring at least 4

A 14-story apartment building popular with vacationers in Egypt collapsed on Monday in Alexandria, Egypt’s second-largest city, and rescuers were clearing the rubble, officials said. At least four people were reportedly injured and it was not immediately clear if anyone was missing.

The accident, in the Sidi Bishr district, a central residential area of ​​the city, was just one of many deadly building collapses in Egypt in recent years, where reports have highlighted the risks of maintenance failures and dilapidated structures.

Mohamed El-Sherif, the city’s governor, said on the scene that the collapse was caused by a “vertical split” in the building’s structure, which caused half of the building to collapse.

Mr El-Sherif added that the building, built in the 1970s, was listed as being at risk of collapse by the council and the top floor had received a demolition order.

Egypt’s attorney general said on Monday he has ordered an investigation into the collapse.

Most of the apartments in the building are rental properties used by vacationers during the summer season, Alexandria Governorate said in a statement. It was not clear whether the apartments were occupied.

a video posted by Alexandria authorities showed smoke rising from the mound of rubble and firefighters aiming water hoses at it.

In 2021, Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism, a non-profit organization, found it that building collapses had killed 500 people across Egypt over the past seven years. According to the report, Alexandria was the deadliest governorate, with 86 deaths during that period, including those of 16 children.