Tripoli, Lebanon. The death toll from the collapse of residential buildings in Tripoli rose to 15 after search and rescue operations ended, Lebanon’s National News Agency reported on Monday. Civil defence officials said eight people were rescued from the rubble.
Rescue efforts and casualties
Civil defence director general Imad Khreiss said rescue teams pulled eight people from the debris in the Bab al-Tabbaneh neighbourhood. Officials said on Sunday that two adjoining buildings had collapsed.
Missing residents and occupancy
Abdel Hamid Karimeh, head of Tripoli’s municipal council, said he could not confirm how many people remained missing. Earlier, the head of Lebanon’s civil defence rescue service said the two buildings were home to 22 residents.
Evacuation plans and temporary assistance
Following a meeting, the Lebanese cabinet said Tripoli’s municipal council is set to issue a decision to evacuate 114 buildings at risk of collapse within a period not exceeding one month. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said on social media that temporary housing assistance would be made available for evacuated families for one year.
Infrastructure concerns and calls for state intervention
State media, citing municipal officials, reported that a number of aging residential buildings have collapsed in Tripoli in recent weeks, highlighting deteriorating infrastructure and years of neglect. Karimeh said unsafe buildings in the city were a longstanding issue driven by factors including construction violations, years of disorder, weak oversight and a lack of regular maintenance, partly linked to restrictive rent control laws that discourage owners from investing in repairs.
Karimeh said many buildings in the city were between 60 and 70 years old and had exceeded their structural lifespan without essential maintenance, increasing the risk of collapse. He said the problem exceeded the capacity of the municipality and residents alone and called for direct state intervention.
Shelter and housing allowances
Karimeh said authorities have begun providing temporary shelter to displaced families, while Lebanon’s Higher Relief Committee is offering housing allowances for up to three months.
How will the planned evacuation of 114 at-risk buildings affect your community’s housing options and safety?