11 killed in high-rise collapse in Egypt

Rescue workers look for survivors buried under debris of damaged buildings following the collapse of an 11-story building under construction onto three adjacent buildings that killed at least 10 people in the Gomrouk neighborhood of Alexandria, Egypt, July 15, 2012. AP/Tarek Fawzy

ALEXANDRIA, Egypt – An apartment tower under construction collapsed on adjacent buildings in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria, killing 11 people, Egypt’s Health Ministry said Sunday.

The ministry said five other people were injured and that search teams were searching for survivors buried under rubble.

The 11-story building in the poor Alexandria neighborhood of al-Gomrouk collapsed late Saturday onto three adjacent buildings, reducing much of the structures to rubble. All the dead and injured lived in the three smaller buildings.

Building collapses are not uncommon in Egypt, where shoddy construction is widespread in shantytowns, poor city neighborhoods and rural areas. With real estate at a premium in big cities like Alexandria and Cairo, developers seeking bigger profits frequently violate planning permits and exceed the number of stories allowed.