Municipal authorities in Egypt’s Mediterranean city of Alexandria have begun demolishing a 17-storey leaning building to avoid its collapse.
The 39-apartment building in the well-known Sayala neighbourhood in the Bahary district was evacuated before the start of the process.
Ten floors will be removed from the building, Alexandria’s Governor Mohamed El-Sherif said, pointing out it was constructed without registeration in 2016 and multiple demolition orders were issued for it.
Temporary homes are being prepared currently for the evacuated residents.
There are 164 leaning buildings in Alexandria at varying degrees, El-Sherif said in a phone interview with Ahmed Moussa on Sada El-Balad TV channel.
On Saturday night, tenants heard cracking sound from under the building, prompting them to rush out of the premises immediately. Then, security forces and ambulances hurried to the scene to ensure the safety of all residents.
Several nearby buildings were also evacuated to determine if they were affected or not.
Building collapses are commonplace in Egypt and are usually attributed to violations of building specifications, illegal extensions and lax oversight.
However, Egypt has pledged the adoption of “resolute” measures to stop building violations, especially in agricultural lands nationwide.
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