Building collapse in Cairo, Egypt: at least 13 fatalities

A five-story apartment building collapsed in Cairo, the capital of Egypt, on Monday. The incident caused at least 13 fatalities, while rescue teams worked diligently to search for survivors amidst the rubble.

As it was reported by the state-run MENA news agency, the victims were recovered from the debris of the building located in Cairo's Hadaeq el-Qubbah neighborhood, approximately 3.2km (2 miles) away from the city center. Additionally, four survivors were taken to the hospital, and authorities evacuated a nearby apartment building.

Cairo's deputy governor, Hossam Fawzi, confirmed the death toll at 12, with ongoing efforts to locate two missing individuals. However, the state newspaper Al-Ahram stated that 13 people had lost their lives.

The Egyptian Ministry of Social Solidarity announced its plans to provide financial assistance of 60,000 Egyptian pounds ($1939) to the families of the victims. Furthermore, the ministry pledged to deliver aid to the injured individuals and closely monitor the extent of damage to neighboring properties.

The exact cause of the collapse remains unclear, but preliminary investigations conducted by Egypt's Public Prosecutor indicate that it was likely due to the removal of several walls by a ground floor resident during earlier maintenance work.

Building collapses are a frequent occurrence in Egypt, mainly attributed to substandard construction practices and insufficient maintenance, particularly in impoverished urban and rural areas. In recent years, the government has made efforts to address the issue by cracking down on illegal constructions and developing new cities and neighborhoods to relocate individuals residing in high-risk areas. However, due to the high demand for real estate in major cities like Cairo and Alexandria, developers often disregard building permits to maximize profits, resulting in unauthorized additions of extra floors.