At least three people were killed and five injured when a five-storey building collapsed in Ismailia early on Monday morning, while rescue workers were still digging for missing persons, including an 11-year-old child and a woman, by late morning.
The injured were transferred to hospital with suspected fractures and concussion, while one dead person was taken directly to the mortuary, said Ahmed Saleh, director of Ismailia General Hospital.
Of the injured, two later died in hospital. Early reports suggest those killed include a woman, a man and a 13-year-old boy.
Ismailia witnessed heavy rainfall on Sunday evening, and witnesses told Al-Masry Al-Youm that they suspected this as the cause of the collapse.
Residents of the buildings on either side have been evacuated, said the head of Ismailia's First neighborhood, where the incident occurred.
According to the head of the Egyptian Ambulance Organization, Ahmed Ansary, emergency services received a call concerning the collapse at 2:36 a.m. and dispatched 21 ambulances to the scene immediately, arriving at 2:41 a.m.
The Ismailia governor and the head of security for the governorate inspected the scene of the tragedy.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm.
