At least six killed as buildings collapse in Lebanon’s Tripoli

At least six people were killed and seven others injured after two adjoining residential buildings collapsed in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli, local authorities announced.

Rescue teams continued searching for survivors amid concerns that more residents remain trapped beneath the rubble, Reuters reports.

Abdel Hamid Karimeh, head of Tripoli’s municipal council, told a press conference that the collapse occurred in the Bab al-Tabbaneh neighbourhood but said the exact number of people still missing was unclear. “We do not yet know how many individuals remain trapped under the debris,” Karimeh said.

Earlier, the head of Lebanon’s civil defence rescue service stated that the two collapsed buildings were home to 22 residents at the time of the incident.

Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that rescue workers, assisted by local residents, had pulled three people alive from the rubble as search operations continued. Emergency crews remained at the scene, using heavy machinery and manual equipment to clear debris in the hope of locating additional survivors.

By Vafa Guliyeva