British News Agency

Civil Defense Director General Imad Khreish told state media that the death toll had risen to nine, adding that six people were rescued from the rubble and taken to hospital.

Khreish said the buildings consisted of two blocks, each containing six apartments, and were home to 22 residents. The state-run National News Agency reported that the collapse occurred in Tripoli’s Bab Al Tabbaneh neighborhood.

Bab Al Tabbaneh is the poorest area of the already impoverished city. Tripoli, in northern Lebanon, is widely regarded as the country’s poorest city, with many residents believed to be living in unsafe housing.

Lebanon has been grappling with economic, political and social crises for years. The recent war between Iran-backed Hezbollah and Israel has further exacerbated the country’s problems.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam offered his condolences and said the government was ready to provide housing assistance to residents and allocate funds to reinforce old buildings. He described the “humanitarian disaster” as “the result of years of accumulated neglect.”

Tripoli Mayor Abdel Hamid Karimeh said, “Thousands of our people in Tripoli are at risk due to years of neglect. The situation is beyond the capacity of the Tripoli municipality.”

Last month, Bassam Nabulsi, head of the High Relief Authority, said residents of 105 buildings in Tripoli needed warning notices for evacuation.

Many buildings in Lebanon have been constructed illegally or without the required permits, while some owners have added new floors to existing structures.