Building Collapse in Alexandria Claims 10 Lives, Highlights Persistent Construction Issues

At least 10 people were killed and several were injured when a 14-story apartment building collapsed in the Egyptian coastal city of Alexandria, according to local authorities.

The building, in the beachside neighborhood of Montaza, collapsed early on Monday. Initial reports said eight people were missing beneath the rubble.

On Tuesday, the city authorities confirmed that three bodies had been found and pulled from the rubble. Two people were reported injured and were taken to hospital, but were later discharged. It was not known whether others were still missing.

Some 16 families lived in the building full-time, while the remaining apartments were being rented out to vacationers taking a summer break in Alexandria.

The city’s governor, Mohamed Al-Sharif, said search efforts were underway at the site and that an investigation into the cause of the collapse had been launched.

Although the cause of the collapse is not yet known, such incidents are common in Egypt, usually as a result of shoddy construction. Developers in premium cities such as Cairo and Alexandria frequently violate planning permits and add extra floors to buildings illicitly.

The Egyptian authorities have in recent years launched a crackdown on illegal construction and have moved residents from unsafe houses and shantytowns to newly built cities.

However, in February, six people were killed in the city of Damanhour, southeast of Alexandria, after cooking gas cylinders exploded in the basement of a four-story building, collapsing the entire structure.