Twelve-storey building collapses in Cairo

A 12-storey building collapsed in Cairo today after a huge fire broke out in its lower levels, Egypt's Middle East News Agency…

A 12-storey building collapsed in Cairo today after a huge fire broke out in its lower levels, Egypt's Middle East News Agency said.

MENA said there was no immediate information on casualties. It said shops occupied the lower level of the building.

The collapse occurred in a residential and commercial district, Nasr City, about 15 minutes drive from central Cairo.

Firemen were not able to extinguish the fire because parts of the building were falling.

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The collapse of apartment blocks is not uncommon in Egypt, where building regulations are sometimes ignored and residents often add unauthorised floors to existing structures, endangering their stability.

Seven people died last May when a six-storey apartment building collapsed in the Egyptian capital.