Tragedy at dawn: Tripoli wakes to ruins as residential buildings collapse

Report by Edmond Sassine, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi    

A new tragedy struck the northern Lebanese city of Tripoli early Saturday when two residential buildings collapsed in the Qoubbeh district, trapping members of one family under the rubble and reigniting concerns over unsafe and deteriorating structures in the city.

The collapse occurred shortly after 3 a.m., when a five-story building and a neighboring three-story structure gave way. Authorities said the toll could have been far higher had it not been for the owner of a nearby shop who noticed cracks in the buildings and raised the alarm.

Before the collapse, municipal authorities intervened and evacuated the two buildings along with their residents. 

However, a family of five from the Al-Mir family was still inside their apartment at the moment the buildings collapsed, leaving them buried beneath debris.

Neighbors described moments of terror as the structures came down, sending shockwaves through the area. One woman, still visibly shaken hours later, recounted how the collapse nearly reached her own building, which had not been evacuated, as families lived through what residents described as frightening and chaotic scenes.

Civil Defense teams, the Lebanese Red Cross, and relief organizations worked tirelessly, often using their bare hands, to search for survivors. Rescuers were able to pull one woman alive from the rubble, and throughout the day, they reported detecting sounds from beneath the debris, raising hopes that others may still be alive.

The disaster has once again brought attention to the growing danger posed by aging and unstable buildings in Tripoli. Officials said the collapsed structure was not among the 105 buildings currently listed as at risk of collapse and whose residents have been formally warned to evacuate.

A meeting scheduled for next week was already set to address buildings deemed unsafe and in need of urgent rehabilitation. The interior minister has reiterated the government's commitment to advancing solutions to this long-standing issue.

For residents of Tripoli, the collapse is yet another chapter in a recurring tragedy that has shifted between neighborhoods, years, and successive governments. Locals say the repeated disasters underscore the need for clear responsibility, adequate funding, and concrete action to prevent further loss of life.