Beirut, Feb.09 (SANA) The death toll from the collapse of an old residential building in the Bab al-Tabbaneh area of Tripoli, northern Lebanon, has risen to 14, the General Directorate of Civil Defense said Monday.
Lebanon’s National News Agency quoted the Civil Defense as saying that rescue teams recovered 14 bodies from the rubble during continued search operations, while nine people were rescued alive.
The Civil Defense later announced the completion of search and rescue operations, saying all necessary field work had been carried out in accordance with occupational safety standards.
Earlier reports had put the toll at six fatalities and seven injured.
Tripoli Mayor Abdul Hamid Karami said Sunday that the city should be considered a disaster zone because of the large number of buildings at risk of collapse, warning that thousands of structures could face similar dangers due to long-standing neglect.
The incident comes weeks after another residential building collapsed in Tripoli’s Qobbeh area in late January, an incident that also resulted in deaths and injuries, highlighting persistent safety concerns in parts of the city.
M.S
