4-story apartment building collapse in Cairo kills 4, sparks investigation

A four-story apartment building collapsed Wednesday in the Egyptian capital, leaving at least four people dead, authorities said, as rescuers continued to search through the rubble.

Cairo’s governate said in a statement that the building collapse occurred in the Hadaeq el-Qubbah neighborhood, roughly 2 miles from the city center. At least three others were injured, it said.

It’s unclear what caused the collapse. Egypt’s public prosecutor was investigating the incident, Cairo’s governate said.

In a separate statement, Egypt’s Ministry of Social Solidarity said it would give $1,941 to the families of the dead.

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Fatal building collapses are common in Egypt. In recent years, the government has tried to crack down on illegal buildings after decades of lax enforcement. Authorities are also building new cities and neighborhoods to rehouse those living in areas that are at risk of collapse.

Many cities across the country still have large swaths of unlicensed apartment blocks and shantytowns in breach of building regulations.

In July, 12 people were killed when a different five-story building collapsed in Hadaeq el-Qubbah. At least six people died when cooking gas cylinders packed into the basement of a apartment block in the northern city of Damanhour exploded in February.