A tragedy struck the Choueifat area, south of Lebanon’s capital Beirut, as a four-storey building collapsed, claiming the lives of four individuals and injuring four others. The National News Agency (NNA) reported that civil defense teams are working tirelessly to remove the rubble and search for more potential victims.
Just ten days prior, a five-storey building in the same area collapsed, thankfully with no reported casualties. Lebanon has seen several instances of building collapses in recent years, prompting citizens to urge authorities to identify at-risk buildings and assist in relocating residents. However, a proper mechanism for addressing this issue has yet to be established.
The Lebanese Real Estate Authority has identified at least 18,000 buildings at risk of collapse across the country, with approximately 11,000 in Beirut and 4,000 in Tripoli. The World Bank estimates that 25% of buildings in Beirut are over 50 years old, highlighting the widespread issue of aging infrastructure.
Many of these buildings have also been impacted by various external factors, including Israeli military attacks, the Beirut port explosions, and earthquakes in neighboring Syria and Turkey. As Lebanon continues to grapple with the aftermath of these events, the safety and stability of its buildings remain a pressing concern for citizens and authorities alike.
