CAIRO: Residents from 13 Hart El-Gamal St. of Sayyeda Zeinab are now homeless after their building collapsed early Sunday morning.
“The collapse occurred when workers were trying to find out where the cracking noise was coming from, said Kalaat El-Kabsh resident Mohammed Tawfeet, 19.
Kalaat El-Kabsh residents of Cairo’s poor suburb, Sayyeda Zeinab were still sleeping at 7 am before they heard cracking about a half hour before the four story building began to sway, then quickly collapsed, killing two construction workers and a fourth floor resident.
Rescuers spent their Sunday morning digging frantically through the rubble with bare hands, metal-cutters and crowbars to save those shouting through drainage pipes and holes, while light were set up so the search could continue into the night.
By 9 pm two constructions workers Hassan El Badrawy 18, and Ali Ahmed, 23 were found dead after their bodies were pulled out from the rubble, along with fourth floor resident, Ahmed Ismail, 23.
Government officials who arrived at the scene at 11 pm followed orders to evacuate neighboring buildings that were directly adjacent from the collapsed building.
“Yesterday, I slept at my brother’s place, today, I guess I will do the same, but then what? I lost my husband years ago so I have no one to provide for me and the government hasn’t helped me in finding me another place to live, said Om Mohammed, one resident who was evacuated from her house late Sunday night.
Concerned neighbor Mona Ahmed, 32 complained to the Sayyeda Zeinab district council two months ago, warning authorities that the structure was not safe and a collapse could occur. “That day, I remember I left their office surprised and angry after they told me ‘We will leave that business to God’. Who else could I have complained to? Our district council is of no use.
Sayyeda Zeinab taxi driver, Osama Mohammed, 43 told The Daily Star Egypt “This is all about building standards. It’s important the government starts putting mechanisms in place to ensure that only properly designed buildings are built.
“Buildings will keep falling in Sayyed Zeinab, and media outlets remain as our only call for help, said Hassan Gamal, 16.
Buildings, like all structures, are designed to support certain loads without deforming excessively. With buildings of a few floors, strength generally accompanies sufficient rigidity. But the causes of building collapse can be classified under general headings such as bad design, faulty construction, and foundation failure.
The Kalaat El-Kabsh community believes it was the combination of these causes that led to the collapse of 13 Hart El-Gamal St.
