The incident occurred in Lebanon at around 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 8
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NEED TO KNOW
- At least 14 people have died after two adjoining residential buildings collapsed in Tripoli, Lebanon
- According to a statement from the Lebanese Civil Defense, the bodies were rescued from under the rubble of the buildings
- Head of Tripoli’s municipal council, Abdel Hamid Karameh, said it was unclear how many people remained missing, according to Reuters
At least 14 people have died after two adjoining residential buildings collapsed in Lebanon.
On Monday, Feb. 9, the Lebanese Civil Defense said in a Facebook post that 14 people had been confirmed dead following the incident in Tripoli on Sunday.
The bodies were rescued from under the rubble, according to the officials.
“Around 4:30 p.m. this afternoon, a residential building consisting of two sections, each of six floors, collapsed in the Bab Al-Milana neighborhood in Tripoli, leading to the detention of a number of citizens under the ruins,” the Lebanese Civil Defense said in a statement on Sunday.
PEOPLE has contacted Lebanon's national news agency and Lebanese Civil Defense for further comment bit did not immediately receive replies.
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Sharing a video of responders freeing someone from the devastation on Monday, the Lebanese Civil Defense said a total of eight people had been rescued. Head of Tripoli's municipal council, Abdel Hamid Karameh, said it was unclear how many people remained missing, according to Reuters.
The structure had been home to 22 residents, the outlet reported, citing the head of Lebanon's Civil Defense rescue service.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam said the incident was a "humanitarian catastrophe,” per the BBC.
"The government is fully prepared to provide accommodation for all residents of buildings that need to be evacuated," he said.
He added that the incident was the "results of years of accumulated neglect.”
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Minister of Social Haneen Sayed also wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter), “What happened today in Tripoli is painful and alarming, and it reminds us of the extent of the fragility that many families in the city live with. Our hearts are with the affected families and with the victims' families on this painful day.”
The incident comes just days after people were forced to evacuate from a nearby building and two weeks after a building collapse resulted in the death of a father and daughter, according to the BBC.
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