Khaberni - The city of Tripoli in northern Lebanon witnessed, at dawn on Saturday, the collapse of a five-story residential building in the Al-Qubba area, which necessitated an official emergency response for a large-scale relief operation aimed at rescuing an entire family trapped by the rubble.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the building was completely evacuated on Friday after severe cracks appeared in its walls. However, one family refused to leave the building due to the lack of alternative shelter and found themselves trapped under the debris just hours after their fateful decision.
The Lebanese Civil Defense teams and the Red Cross managed to rescue a woman and a girl from under the rubble and transferred them to the city's hospital to receive treatment, while the father and three children are still trapped under the debris.
Specialized reception devices confirmed signs of life amongst those trapped, prompting rescue teams to use precise equipment and small cranes to avoid any further injuries during the sensitive rescue operation.
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun closely followed the incident moment by moment and directed Interior Minister Ahmed El Hajjar to intensify rescue efforts and to call upon the army when necessary. He also ordered an immediate investigation to uncover the causes of the collapse and determine responsibilities.
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam also announced his personal follow-up on the incident with the Secretary-General of the Higher Relief Council, Brigadier General Bassam Al-Nabulsi, from the early dawn hours. He emphasized that the protection of citizens' lives is an absolute priority for the government and called for increased readiness and intensified coordination between the Disaster Management Unit, the Municipality of Tripoli, and all relevant institutions.
Health Minister Rakan Nasreddin directed the treatment of all wounded at the expense of the ministry, while the General Directorate of Civil Defense emphasized the need to evacuate the site of the collapse and for citizens to stay away to enable rescue teams to perform their tasks efficiently and quickly.
