14 killed, 8 rescued in Tripoli building collapse

The death toll in a building collapse in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli rose to 14 after search and rescue operations ended, the civil defense chief said Monday.

The building consisted of two blocks, each containing six apartments in the Bab al-Tabbaneh neighborhood, one of the poorest areas in the city. Twenty-two people were inside at the time of the collapse.

Civil defense chief Imad Khreish told reporters in front of the building that "the search and rescue operations have ended for now", noting that eight residents were rescued alive, while "unfortunately 14 victims died".

Security personnel had evacuated adjacent buildings fearing further collapses.

Mayor Abdel Hamid Karimeh on Sunday declared Tripoli a "disaster-stricken city" due to unsafe buildings threatening the lives of "thousands of our people".

This latest disaster came after another deadly building collapse in Tripoli late last month.

Lebanese authorities said at the time that 105 buildings required "immediate warning notices to their residents to evacuate".

Lebanon is dotted with derelict buildings, and many inhabited structures are in an advanced state of disrepair.

Many buildings were built illegally, especially during the 1975-1990 civil war, while some owners have added new floors to existing apartment blocks without permits.

Several buildings have previously collapsed in Tripoli and other parts of the country over the years, with authorities failing to take appropriate measures to ensure structural safety.

In 2024, rights group Amnesty International said thousands were still living in unsafe buildings in Tripoli more than a year after a major earthquake centred on Turkey and neighbouring Syria had weakened the structures.

Even before the February 2023 quake, Tripoli residents "had raised the alarm about their dire housing situation, caused by decades of neglect and contractors' lack of compliance with safety regulations", it said.