Search and rescue efforts in the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli concluded with authorities reporting 15 fatalities after two adjacent residential buildings fell, the National News Agency reported on Monday citing the head of civil defence. Civil defence director general Imad Khreiss said rescue teams managed to extricate eight people alive from the debris in the Bab al-Tabbaneh neighbourhood.
Officials had said on Sunday that the collapse involved two adjoining buildings. Abdel Hamid Karimeh, who leads Tripoli's municipal council, said he could not confirm how many people remained unaccounted for following the operations. Earlier statements from the head of Lebanon's civil defence rescue service said the two structures had been home to 22 residents.
Municipal sources and state media noted that a number of older residential buildings have given way in Tripoli in recent weeks, a trend they attribute to deteriorating infrastructure and extended neglect. Karimeh characterized the problem of unsafe buildings in the city as long-standing, driven by a combination of construction violations, prolonged disorder, weak regulatory oversight and a lack of routine maintenance.
He also pointed to rent control laws as a contributory factor, saying such restrictions discourage property owners from making necessary repairs. Karimeh noted that many structures in Tripoli are between 60 and 70 years old and have exceeded their structural lifespan without essential maintenance, which increases the risk of collapse.
Local officials said the scale of the problem outstrips what the municipality and residents can handle alone and called for direct intervention by the central state. In the aftermath of the collapses, authorities have initiated measures to support those displaced. Municipal authorities are providing temporary shelter, while Lebanon's Higher Relief Committee is offering housing allowances for a period of up to three months, Karimeh said.
Charities, the Ministry of Social Affairs and international organisations have been described as coordinating relief efforts with the goal of ensuring at least a minimum acceptable level of support for affected households. The municipal leadership emphasized the need for coordinated action to address both immediate humanitarian needs and the broader, systemic issues that have left many buildings vulnerable to collapse.
Context limitation: Reporting reflects statements from municipal and civil defence officials; details on the number of missing individuals remain unconfirmed.