At least 3 dead in building collapse in Cairo

Several other people may be trapped under the rubble, police say

A building collapse in the Greater Cairo district of Imbaba. At least three people are dead and others are believed to be under the rubble.

At least three people died when a five-storey building collapsed in the Egyptian capital of Cairo on Tuesday night.

The cause of the collapse was not immediately clear, a police statement said.

Rescue teams managed to retrieve three bodies from the collapsed building, however it is believed that several other people are trapped under the rubble, police said.

The collapse, which happened in the lower-class neighbourhood of Imbaba in the Greater Cairo district of Giza, also caused damage to two neighbouring buildings, the police statement added.

Police set up a cordon around the rubble to allow rescue teams to enter the area.

Officers also cleared the surrounding buildings of residents out of fears over their structural integrity.

Photos on social media showed dozens of onlookers watching intently as rescue efforts continued.

It is relatively common for apartment buildings to collapse in Egypt, where tall towers are often erected without appraisals by municipal authorities.

A similar collapse in Cairo in March last year left 25 dead and 26 injured.

The government of President Abdel Fattah El Sisi has since launched an initiative to stop construction being carried out without authorities’ knowledge.