Cairo building collapse leaves 10 dead, search for survivors ongoing

A building collapse in Cairo on February 17 claimed the lives of 10 people and left eight others injured, with several more feared trapped under the debris.

Ambulances rushed to the scene in the working-class neighbourhood of Kirdasah, where civil defence teams worked to locate those believed to be missing beneath the rubble, Caliber.Az reports citing foreign media sources.

Eyewitnesses speaking to the state-owned outlet attributed the collapse to "a gas cylinder explosion," though authorities have launched an official investigation to determine the exact cause.

Cairo, a city of over 26 million residents, has long struggled with inconsistent enforcement of building regulations. Deadly collapses have become a recurring tragedy, often due to poor maintenance, structural decay, or unauthorized construction work.

The issue is widespread across Egypt, a nation of 107 million people, where substandard construction practices are common in both low-income urban districts and rural areas.

Kirdasah, a middle-class town southwest of Cairo, is known for its handwoven rug industry, which draws both local buyers and foreign tourists seeking unique crafts.

With real estate in high demand in cities such as Cairo and Alexandria, developers frequently disregard zoning laws, adding unauthorized floors to buildings in pursuit of greater profits — one of the key factors contributing to such structural failures.

By Tamilla Hasanova