The death toll from the collapse of two residential buildings in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli has risen to 15, state media said on Monday, as rescue teams wrapped up search operations and officials warned that more people could still be missing.
The buildings collapsed on Sunday in the impoverished Bab al-Tabbaneh neighbourhood, sending clouds of dust and debris into the surrounding streets. Eight people were rescued alive, according to Civil Defence director general Imad Khreiss.
Khreiss said the two adjoining buildings were home to 22 registered residents, though municipal authorities cautioned that the actual number of people inside at the time of the collapse remains unclear.
Footage shared on social media showed one side of the buildings giving way at the lower floors before both structures collapsed almost simultaneously, leaving a deep crater at the site. Large crowds later gathered around the rubble, while emergency crews used heavy machinery to clear debris.
Tripoli Mayor Abdel Hamid Karimeh said the city had suffered years of neglect and warned that thousands of residents remain at risk due to unsafe housing.
“Thousands of our people in Tripoli are threatened due to years of neglect,” Karimeh said, adding that the situation was beyond the capacity of the municipality. He later announced that he had submitted his resignation to the interior minister, describing Tripoli as “disaster-stricken”.
President Joseph Aoun said he was monitoring developments and called on rescue teams nationwide to mobilise. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam described the collapse as a “humanitarian catastrophe” and said the government was ready to assist displaced residents.
“The government is fully prepared to provide accommodation for all residents of buildings that need to be evacuated,” Salam said, adding that the disaster was the result of years of accumulated neglect.
The collapse is the fifth residential building failure in Tripoli this winter, underscoring growing concerns over ageing and poorly maintained structures in Lebanon’s second-largest city. Days earlier, residents were evacuated from a nearby building after cracks appeared, and two weeks ago another collapse killed a father and daughter.
Last month, the head of Lebanon’s Higher Relief Authority said more than 100 buildings in Tripoli required evacuation warnings. Many residential blocks across the country were built illegally or expanded without proper permits during and after the 1975–1990 civil war, authorities say, leaving thousands at risk — particularly during the cold and wet winter months.
In a statement, Lebanon’s national syndicate for property owners said the collapse was the result of “blatant negligence and shortcomings of the Lebanese state” and called for a nationwide assessment of buildings at risk of failure.
A new artificial intelligence data centre in Armenia could be used for Western intelligence purposes, including against Russia, according to Russia...
Syria is carefully considering providing...
Scientists, astronauts and space industry leaders gathered in Antalya, Türkiye, on Thursday for the fourth day of the 77th International ...
Russia struck Ukraine overnight in one of the biggest attacks of the conflict, killing at least 19 people, Kyiv's Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday. Around 70 missiles were fired at Ukraine during the attack, as well as drones, the Ministry said.
The Saudi-led coalition says it has carried out a series of military operations against Houthi targets in Yemen after attacks on two Saudi airports left three people dead and dozens injured.
Azerbaijan and the five Central Asian states have signed two key documents at the 8th Consultative Meeting of Heads of State in Turkmenbashi, formalising a broader framework for regional cooperation in transport, trade, energy, digitalisation and security.
An investigation into August Hanning, the former head of Germany’s Federal Intelligence Service (BND), has no connection to Azerbaijan, informed sources have told AnewZ.
It started with classrooms. Too many students, not enough teachers, deteriorating buildings and growing anxiety over what comes after high school. But within weeks, a movement that began outside French lycées had spread across the country.
Syria is carefully considering providing military assistance to key ally Saudi Arabia amid an escalating war against the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen, a U.S. official and a Syrian military official briefed on the matter said.
The European Parliament has adopted a resolution condemning Georgian Dream’s attempt to ban opposition parties and calling for targeted sanctions against senior Georgian officials.
Iran is reviewing a U.S. response to Tehran's proposal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz within seven days, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi saying a reply could come within days.
Central Asian countries have agreed on water withdrawal limits and reservoir operating plans for the 2026-2027 non-growing season, with inflows into Kazakhstan’s Shardara Reservoir -- a crucial water source for agriculture --expected to reach around 10 billion cubic metres.
Tajikistan has begun the process of leaving the International Criminal Court, citing what it calls growing politicisation and bias in the court’s work.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment