Egyptian authorities are searching for survivors after a 13-story apartment block collapsed in the port city of Alexandria on Monday, local media have reported.

The number of people trapped under the rubble is unknown, and no information on potential fatalities has been released. However, the news network Al Arabiya cited the Egyptian Health Ministry as saying at least four people have been rescued with minor injuries, mostly caused by suffocation.

The high-rise structure on Khalil Hamada Street, containing rental units used by vacationers and a ground-floor supermarket, caved in after a “vertical split” appeared, according to the regional Governor, Mohamed al-Sharif.

According to the official, the top floor had earlier been removed, after residents raised concerns over its stability. Witnesses reported hearing an explosion before the building fell.

Search-and-rescue crews are working at the scene, and nearby hospitals are on high alert. The Public Prosecution Office has launched an investigation into the cause of the disaster.

The governor has said no surrounding properties are affected, and their occupants have not been evacuated.

Building collapses are common in Egypt due to structural defects.

Earlier this year, a five-story apartment block collapsed in Assiut, in southern Egypt, killing at least four people, one day after the roof of a house in Alexandria caved in, leaving two people dead and injuring one.

Source: Russia Today