Witnesses have recalled the terrifying moment a five-story residential building spontaneously collapsed in the Lebanese city of Tripoli on Sunday, killing at least 15 people. The collapse occurred on Sunday afternoon in in Tripoli's Bab al-Tabbaneh district. According to local authorities, the building, an aging residential structure, crumbled within seconds. The mayor of Tripoli, Abdel Hamid Karimeh said the city is facing a growing building safety crisis, warning that thousands of structures are at risk due to years of neglect and lack of maintenance.
A witness who was near the scene said the collapse happened suddenly, leaving no time for people to react.
"I was here, sitting outside my shop. It was around 3:30 or 4:00 p.m. when it happened. At that time, as far as I can remember, we were the only ones on the street. Our neighbor's daughter was here. She is about 12 or 13 years old. She ran, jumped toward me, and said, 'The building is collapsing.' I looked at the building. In a matter of seconds, it crumbled completely. In the blink of an eye, it collapsed completely - no wall fell first, no warning at all," he said.
Another resident said people from the nearby neighborhoods joined rescue efforts, working together to clear rubble and search for survivors.
"When disaster struck, the Al-Tabbaneh and Jabal Mohsen neighborhoods joined forces to clear the rubble and save lives, and to recover bodies from under the debris. I have two children who were on the street at the time of the tragedy. I gave it my all until I found them," the resident said.
Witnesses recount sudden collapse of residential building in Lebanon
