At least five people, including a child and an elderly woman, were killed after an old residential building collapsed in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli on Sunday, according to state media. The incident marks the second deadly building collapse in the city within weeks, raising renewed concerns over housing safety.

Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported that the collapse occurred in the Bab al-Tabbaneh neighbourhood, one of the poorest areas in the already impoverished city. Security forces evacuated nearby buildings as a precaution, fearing further structural failures.

Rescue operations amid rubble

Authorities said eight people were rescued alive from the debris, while the bodies of five victims were recovered. Civil defence chief Imad Khreish told local media that the structure consisted of two blocks, each housing six apartments.

Local television footage showed residents and rescue workers attempting to clear rubble using basic tools and even their bare hands, highlighting the limited resources available during the operation.

The collapse follows another fatal incident in Tripoli late last month, underscoring a pattern of structural failures in the city.

President orders emergency response

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun directed all emergency services to mobilise immediately to assist rescue efforts and provide shelter to displaced residents from the collapsed building and neighbouring homes evacuated as a safety measure.

Lebanon is dotted with ageing and poorly maintained buildings, many of which were constructed illegally or expanded without permits, particularly during the 1975–1990 civil war.

Longstanding housing crisis

In 2024, Amnesty International warned that thousands of residents in Tripoli were still living in unsafe buildings, even a year after a major earthquake in neighbouring Turkey and Syria further weakened structures. The group said decades of neglect, lack of safety compliance and Lebanon’s prolonged economic crisis have left residents unable to repair or relocate.

Rights groups have urged Lebanese authorities to urgently assess building safety nationwide to prevent further loss of life.