Choueifat Building Collapse Kills 4

Late Monday, a tragedy struck a Beirut suburb when a building collapsed, resulting in the deaths of four individuals and injuries to three others. The collapse occurred in Choueifat, a southern suburb, following several days of intense rainfall. Authorities had deemed the four-story structure unsafe, and two years prior, the municipality had mandated its evacuation due to concerns about the building’s unstable foundation. However, disregarding this directive, the building’s owner continued to lease out apartments, primarily to Syrian families.

Rescue operations involved the Islamic Health Society, whose representative, Raja Zreik, confirmed the fatalities. Among those who lost their lives were two women, a man, and a child, as reported by the state-operated National News Agency. Zreik also mentioned that rescuers managed to extract two women and a boy from the debris, who were then immediately transported to a hospital for medical attention.

During the rescue efforts, a Lebanese Red Cross member informed Al-Jadeed TV that it was believed 17 individuals were still trapped beneath the rubble. Lebanon is known to host approximately 805,000 Syrian refugees registered with the United Nations, though actual figures suggested by officials range between 1.5 million and 2 million, indicating a significant Syrian presence in the country.