4 killed in building collapse in Beirut's southern suburbs

BEIRUT: A four-storey building in the Choueifat area, south of Lebanon's capital Beirut, collapsed two days ago, killing four people and injuring four others.

The National News Agency (NNA) reported that the civil defense teams continued on Tuesday removing the rubble in search of more possible victims.

On February 11, another five-storey building in the same area collapsed, with no casualties reported.

Several buildings partially or completely collapsed across Lebanon over the past few years and citizens have repeatedly called for the relevant authorities to identify at-risk buildings and help relocate their residents. Still, a proper mechanism has yet to be adopted for this purpose, Xinhua news agency reported.

According to the Lebanese Real Estate Authority, at least 18,000 buildings are at risk of collapse in Lebanon, including around 11,000 in Beirut and 4,000 in Tripoli.

Meanwhile, the World Bank estimates that 25 per cent of buildings in Beirut are more than 50-years-old, compared to 17 per cent in Tripoli, 16 per cent in the south, and 15 per cent in Mount Lebanon.

Many buildings in Lebanon were impacted by the repeated Israeli military attacks, the repercussions of the Beirut port explosions, and the heavy earthquakes that hit Syria and Turkey.