Egypt: Rescue teams search for survivors after 13-storey building collapse

Rescue crews in Egypt's Alexandria are searching for survivors following the collapse of a 13-storey building in the city on Monday.

The number of people trapped under the rubble of the building in Sidi Bishr district used to house holidaymakers is currently unknown.

Local police suggested the collapse was caused by a “vertical split” in the building’s structure. 

The Egyptian health ministry said that at least four people were injured in the collapse, adding the injuries were minor and mostly as a result of suffocation.

Alexandria state governor Muhammad al-Sharif said the building was usually rented out to holidaymakers during the summer months and that there was also a supermarket in one of the ground floor properties.

He pointed out that the top floor of the building had been removed prior to the collapse following concerns over its stability.

Nearby hospitals were placed on high alert for survivors. Videos on social media showed bulldozers working through the rubble.