At least five people died in a building collapse in Tripoli, northern Lebanon, NOVA reported. Rescuers are continuing to search for survivors in the second such incident in the past few weeks, "Agence France-Presse" reported, citing the Lebanese news agency ANI.
The old building was located in the "Bab al-Thabane" neighborhood - a socially vulnerable area, where security forces evacuated neighboring buildings as a precaution, ANI reported.
“Eight people have been rescued so far“, the agency added, adding that five others, including a child and an elderly woman, were found dead.
The head of the civil defense service, Imad Hreish, told local media that the building consisted of two blocks, each with six apartments.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun ordered the mobilization of all security services to provide “shelter to the residents of the building and those in neighboring buildings“ who were evacuated, his office said in a statement.
In late January, another building collapsed in Tripoli, killing several people, AFP recalls.