On Monday, June 26, 2023, a 13-story building in the El-Montazah district, Sidi Bishr area of Alexandria collapsed, causing significant damage. The building, which was condemned by the authorities, may have been used as hotel structure but details remain sketchy. So far the authorities did not report deaths but many people have been wounded and are being treated in local hospitals. However, it is expected that there will be casualties given the size of the building and the damage it caused around it.
An in-depth report from investigative media Arij.net says hundreds of Egyptians were killed by building collapses and blames the Egyptian government’s “inaction to repair derelict properties or
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demolish them, once their residents have been given alternatives places to live.” Between 2014 and 2020, Arij found some 1,000 such incidents took place, killing around 500 people, one third of them were children and more than one third were women.
Arij says government data shows some 100,000 residential properties are in disrepair and classified as “dangerous buildings that must be demolished.” Nearly a third of the collapsed buildings and one third of the affected families are in Alexandria. Egypt has about 14.5 million residential properties.
