At least 14 killed after residential buildings collapse in Lebanon’s Tripoli

At least 14 people have lost their lives, and several others have been injured after two connected buildings collapsed in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli, officials confirmed while on Monday, Lebanon’s Civil Defence announced that search-and-rescue operations had concluded. Rescue teams recovered 14 bodies from the rubble, an increase from the earlier reported death toll of nine. Eight people were pulled out alive. The collapsed structure was made up of two sections, each housing six apartments. Civil Defence teams were assisted by the Lebanese Red Cross as well as other emergency and relief organizations.

According to Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency (NNA), members of the Internal Security Forces and Tripoli’s municipal police evacuated nearby residential buildings over concerns that they, too, might give way. Residents also joined the rescue efforts.

President Joseph Aoun instructed all emergency services to remain on high alert to support rescue operations and arrange temporary shelter for people living in neighboring buildings. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said the government stands ready to provide housing allowances to residents forced to evacuate unsafe structures.

Calling the incident a “humanitarian catastrophe” caused by years of neglect, Salam urged politicians in Tripoli and across the country not to exploit the tragedy for political advantage. He emphasized the need to respect the victims and focus on relief efforts.

Moreover, Tripoli’s mayor, Abdel Hamid Karimeh, declared the city a disaster zone, pointing to the widespread problem of unsafe buildings. He warned that thousands of residents are at risk due to long-standing neglect and said the scale of the crisis exceeds the municipality’s capacity to handle it alone. Furthermore, Justice Minister Adel Nassar has asked the northern public prosecutor to launch an immediate investigation into the collapse, and legal procedures are already underway.

The tragedy follows another deadly building collapse in Tripoli late last month. In January, Bassam Nablusi, head of the Higher Relief Authority, cited municipal statistics indicating that 105 buildings required urgent evacuation warnings. Across Lebanon, many buildings are in severe disrepair. Some were constructed illegally during the 1975–1990 civil war, while others have had additional floors added without proper permits.