Nine people have been confirmed dead after a five-story apartment collapse north of central Cairo, Egypt, today.
After an initial inspection, Cairo’s deputy governor, Hossam Fawzi, said the collapse was caused by one of the residents on the ground floor who had removed several walls during earlier maintenance work.
Fawzi also said the man has been arrested and will be investigated
Egypt’s Ministry of Social Solidarity said it would donate 60,000 Egyptian pounds to the families of the nine victims, provide aid to the injured and was monitoring damage to nearby properties.
The government has tried to crack down on illegal construction in recent years, after decades of lax enforcement. Authorities are also building new towns and neighbourhoods to relocate people living in at-risk areas.
