A six-storey apartment block in Ashrafiyeh district crashed leaving at least 26 people killed and another 11 injured

The death toll from the crashing of a six-storey apartment block in Beirut’s eastern Ashrafiyeh district left at least 26 people killed and another 11 injured.

The victims included 5 Lebanese, 8 Sudanese, 2 Jordanians, an Egyprian and a Filipina.

The building, which was built in the 1940s, came crashing down without warning on Sunday evening. It was known to house Lebanese and Sudanese families.

A team from several experts launched an investigation after witnesses said that the building’s owner, Michel Saadeh, had warned them not to stay in their apartments on Sunday night. Rescue operations mounted during the night and were continuing Monday morning.

Neighbours said dozens of people had lived in the building.

Lebanese President Michel Sleiman inspected on Sunday the scene of the collapse. Upon his arrival, Sleiman told the press that an investigation must be launched into the incident.

He also called on relevant authorities to run inspections on old buildings in order to prevent similar incidents.

Justice Minister Shakib Qortbawi said that “it is important to pursue the people responsible for the collapse of the building in the Achrafieh area.” “The judiciary will carry out its duty,” the National News Agency quoted Qortbawi as saying. The justice minister also called on the Lebanese to not jump to conclusions and wait for the investigation’s results.