Building collapse in Alexandria, Egypt (update): death toll rises to 10

Ongoing efforts by Egyptian civil protection units are being made to retrieve another body from the debris of a 14-story building that collapsed in Alexandria earlier this week. As of Wednesday, the total number of fatalities has reached 10, with four people injured. On Tuesday evening, the units had announced the discovery of three additional victims, consisting of two men and a woman. Among the injured individuals were four people in the vicinity of the collapsed building, including a paramedic. However, the Alexandria Health Affairs Directorate confirmed that all the wounded individuals had been discharged from the hospital after receiving treatment.

In response to the incident, the Administrative Prosecution Authority summoned the organization manager and the engineering director of Hay Awal El Montazah on Wednesday to investigate the circumstances surrounding the accident. A reliable local source revealed that upon examination, it was determined that the property had experienced a vertical split, with the right side collapsing towards the building facade while the left side remained intact. Consequently, the Montazah Prosecution Office ordered the detention of the owner of the 14th floor and the contractor responsible for the collapsed property. This detention will last for four days to facilitate ongoing investigations. The charges against them include three counts of manslaughter and wrongful injury, as well as the construction of a building without a permit, resulting in property damage and endangering lives.

Furthermore, the prosecution instructed the preservation of the property file to determine the cause of the accident. Additionally, a committee from the Housing Directorate in the governorate has been formed to conduct a necessary inspection of the property and examine its documentation.

Additionally, the Egyptian Youth Council emphasized that its members and volunteers in Alexandria were continuing to assist in the evacuation and support of the civil protection units. MP Rawya Mokhtar, through her Facebook page, shared that she personally visited the site after the building collapse to provide assistance to the civil protection units and ambulance staff. Governor of Alexandria, Mohammed El-Sherif, stated that all relevant authorities have been assigned the task of offering comprehensive support to the approximately 16 households residing in the building.