Death Toll in Alexandria Building Collapse Reaches 10 as Rescue Efforts Continue

10 victims have been found dead at the collapse of a 13-story building in Alexandria’s El Montazah District from Monday, 26 June, according to Ahram Online.

The body of Sameer Hussein Mohamed Hussein, 21, was retrieved from the rubble on 28 June, bringing the total number of casualties to 10. Among the earlier casualties were Abdullah Mahfouz, 13, Mostafa Othman, 22, and Hamdy El-Sayed, 40.

The four individuals who were injured while passing by the building as it collapsed were treated and discharged from the hospital on Monday, 26 June.

The collapsed building was home to 16 families. Holidaymakers were also in residence for the summer season, but it is unclear how many were in the building when it fell.

An investigation into the cause of the collapse revealed that the fourteenth floor of the building was scheduled for demolition; it had been constructed illegally and might have led to the structure’s instability, according to Governor of Alexandria Mohammed al-Sharif.

Additionally, a resident reportedly removed two of the building’s essential structural columns during a construction project without permission, according to building resident Mohamed Morgan. The location of the removed columns corresponds to the collapsed side of the building.

The owner of the fourteenth floor and its contractor failed to act on the demolition notice.

An order to detain both individuals for four days has since been issued. They are facing charges of unauthorized construction and involuntary manslaughter, according to CNN.

A further investigation is still being conducted by an Alexandria Housing Directorate committee to inspect the building’s documentation and better understand the reason behind the collapse.

As search efforts continue, the Decent Life Foundation is on the scene with monitoring teams to provide support to affected parties. They have also promised to donate EGP 25,000 to the families of the victims.

This incident is not the first of its kind in 2023. There have already been 22 similar incidents in Alexandria this year, according to The New Arab.

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