1 dead, 14 injured after building collapse in Sohag

CAIRO – 8 August 2017: Fourteen people injured and a five month-old infant dead after a building collapsed in the east of Sohag early Tuesday morning.

A search is still ongoing to rescue four remaining residents trapped under the debris of the collapsed building.

The cause of the collapse is still unclear.

The governor of Sohag, Ayman Abdel Moneim, and security director, Omar Abdel Aal, went to witness the removal of the debris in the village of Safalaq.

The governor stated that a state of emergency will be declared in all nearby hospitals, and the injured people have already been relocated to a number of nearby hospitals. The Social Solidarity Directorate is currently monitoring the state and wellbeing of the injured, and offering them financial support.

All injuries will be treated at the government’s expense in private and public hospitals until they receive the correct treatment, said Abdel Moneim.

A lot of buildings have been compromised in recent years due to a number of reasons, including illegal permits, poor foundation, nearby construction of new buildings and the corruption of the responsible entities.

“Buildings collapsing in Egypt have increased in recent years due to the local corruption in the country,” said Atef Amin, an urban activist, in January 2016 after a building collapsed in Minya Al-Qamh.