In a distressing development on Monday evening, a residential building in the Amrousieh district of Shoueifat, south of Beirut, Lebanon, succumbed to a collapse, sparking immediate concern for inhabitants and prompting swift action from emergency services. The incident, reported by eyewitnesses has raised alarms over the safety of the building’s occupants, predominantly Syrian nationals.
The collapse of a residential building in Lebanon
Emergency response teams, including ambulance services and civil defense units, were dispatched to the scene where the building, described as densely populated, lay in ruins. Despite previous warnings from local authorities advising residents to vacate the premises, some had chosen to stay, highlighting the dire conditions leading up to the tragedy.
سقوط مبنى في منطقة الشويفات ومعلومات أولية عن وجود إصابات pic.twitter.com/rTcfLeasvr
— LBCI Lebanon News (@LBCI_NEWS) February 19, 2024
Mohamed Shreim, a liaison between local municipalities and community committees, detailed the structure as a four-story building housing five Syrian families, with a significant number of children among them. Shreim’s plea for heavy machinery to help clear the debris underscores the urgent need for community support in the rescue efforts.
فيديو يوثق عملية انتشال ضحايا وانقاذ من هم على قيد الحياة إثر انهيار المبنى في #الشويفات pic.twitter.com/LmU8CXEbfJ
— LebanonOn (@LebanonOnNews) February 19, 2024
The building’s collapse, initially thought to be structurally sound, was attributed to soil erosion exacerbated by rainfall, a peril of its mountainside location. This unfortunate event has led to calls for the evacuation of neighboring buildings, now at risk due to subsequent structural damages.
This incident marks the second building collapse in Shoueifat this year alone, following a similar event just last Saturday. A five-story building had collapsed mere minutes after evacuation, prompted by what residents suspected to be an earthquake, highlighting a recurring issue of building safety in the region.
