LebanonInfrastructure ConstructionStandards StructuralSafety BuildingCollapse

Deadly apartment building collapse exposes on-going structural safety risks in northern Lebanon

*Crowds and rescue personnel gather near the crater left by the collapsed apartment building during ongoing rescue operations. Source: Arab World (image by EPA/WAEL HAMZEH)*

Rescue teams continued search and recovery operations on Sunday after a multi-storey residential building collapsed in the Bab al-Tabbaneh neighbourhood of Tripoli, northern Lebanon, killing at least nine people and injuring several others, according to Lebanese authorities and state media.

The five-storey apartment building collapsed earlier in the day, leaving a large crater and trapping residents beneath the rubble. The Lebanese Civil Defence confirmed that 15 people were pulled from the debris, including six survivors, while rescue crews continued working to locate approximately eight people believed to be missing.

Rescue teams search through rubble after the collapse of a five-storey residential building in Tripoli, northern Lebanon. Source: SCMP (image by Reuters)

Among the confirmed fatalities were a child and a woman, authorities said.

Emergency response teams remained on site throughout the day, using manual and mechanical methods to clear debris in densely built surroundings. Dozens of residents gathered near the collapse zone as rescue operations continued, while surrounding buildings were evacuated as a precaution amid concerns over potential structural instability.

Lebanon’s Health Ministry announced that all injured victims would receive medical treatment at the state’s expense. Government officials stated that temporary shelter would be provided to displaced residents, including those evacuated from neighbouring buildings deemed potentially unsafe.

The collapsed structure was located in Bab al-Tabbaneh, one of Tripoli’s poorest districts, where residents have long raised concerns over infrastructure neglect and deteriorating building conditions. According to multiple reports, building collapses are not uncommon in Tripoli, a city where enforcement of construction standards has been repeatedly questioned.

The National Syndicate for Property Owners described the incident as the result of “blatant negligence and shortcomings of the Lebanese state toward the safety of citizens and their housing security”, stating that the collapse was not an isolated case. The syndicate called for a comprehensive national survey to identify buildings at risk of failure.

Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said the government would assist affected families and work to reinforce buildings deemed at risk of collapse, adding that local authorities are responsible for identifying vulnerable structures. He stated that accountability measures would follow if negligence is confirmed.