A nine-storey apartment building has collapsed in Egypt’s capital, Cairo on Saturday morning, killing at least 18 people and injuring about two dozen others, an official said.
Rescue workers were searching for any survivors trapped under the rubble of the building in the el-Salam neighbourhood, said Khalid Abdel-Al, the administrative head of the Cairo governorate.
At least 24 others were injured and taken to hospitals, he said in a statement.
Police sealed off the area, keeping back the curious and people apparently looking for relatives in the building. Workers were seen using bulldozers to clear away debris.
It was not immediately clear what caused the building’s collapse.
An engineering committee was formed to examine the structural integrity of neighbouring buildings, Abdel-Al said.
Building collapses are fast becoming a common occurrence in Egypt, where low-grade construction is prevalent in shantytowns, poor city neighbourhoods and rural areas.