Amount of water flooding the floor of the evacuated building in Tripoli, Jan. 11, 2025. (Photo provided by L'Orient Today's correspondent Michel Hallak)
A building at risk of collapse was evacuated on Saturday evening in the Bab al-Tebbaneh neighborhood of Tripoli (North Lebanon), reported L'Orient Today's correspondent.
The evacuation took place after cracks appeared in the structure of the building and fears for the safety of the residents increased. The residents had earlier called on the relevant authorities to take urgent measures to protect them and to resolve the issue to prevent a disaster.
The road adjacent to the building was completely blocked as a precautionary measure. Security forces arrived at the scene to ensure the safety of the residents and to coordinate the evacuation. The municipality of Tripoli is assessing the condition of the building.
Temporary accommodation allowance
At the scene on Sunday, Tripoli Municipality President Riyad Yamak said he contacted the Higher Relief Committee and the Secretary General of the Northern Governorate, noting that a "temporary housing allowance" had been provided to residents.
"Yesterday (Saturday), we learned that residents heard a crack in the foundations of the building and we immediately sent the municipal police to the scene, in the presence of the Civil Defense and security forces, who discovered ... a quantity of water flooding its ground," he explained.
He also said he had previously informed the caretaker government and the Ministries of Culture and Interior of the fragile state of several buildings in Tripoli, saying that "the means at the disposal of the municipality are meager and it cannot rehabilitate these buildings."
According to the residents, the building, built more than 50 years ago, has 48 apartments inhabited by more than 400 people. Its restoration would require "more than $30,000," they added, according to our correspondent, calling on the deputies of Tripoli and the North to "pay attention to (their) crisis."
Tripoli has been facing a series of building collapses for several years, resulting in tragic deaths and injuries. Many of these structures are old and lack the necessary reinforcements to withstand the test of time, climate change and occasional seismic activity in the region. On Dec. 24, two Lebanese firefighters were killed while attempting to extinguish a fire in a warehouse located on the ground floor of a building in Mina.