Building collapses in Cairo killing 5, injuring 24

A nine-storey apartment building collapsed in the Egyptian capital early Saturday, killing at least five people and injuring about two dozen others, an official said.

Rescue workers were searching for any survivors trapped under the rubble of the building in the el-Salam neighbourhood, said Khalid Abdel-Al, the administrative head of the Cairo governorate.

At least 24 others were injured and taken to hospitals, he said in a statement.

Police cordoned off the area, keeping back the curious and people apparently looking for relatives in the building. Workers were seen using bulldozers to clear away debris.

It was not immediately clear what caused the building's collapse.

An engineering committee was formed to examine the structural integrity of neighbouring buildings, Abdel-Al said.

Building collapses are not uncommon in Egypt, where shoddy construction is widespread in shantytowns, poor city neighbourhoods and rural areas.

With real estate at a premium in big cities like Cairo and the Mediterranean city of Alexandria, developers seeking bigger profits frequently violate building permits.

Extra floors often are added without proper government permits.

The government has recently launched a crackdown on illegal building across the country, jailing violators and in many cases destroying the buildings.