A week after building collapse tragedy, 21 buildings evacuated and 229 families temporarily rehoused

NORTH LEBANON — A week after the government’s emergency meeting on the deadly building collapse in Tripoli, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam on Monday gave an update on steps taken to protect residents.

Since Feb. 9, 21 cracked buildings have been evacuated, 229 families have left risk-prone buildings, and temporary shelters have been provided to 64 families.

Nine buildings deemed recoverable are undergoing reinforcement works. "All the families have also been included in the Ministry of Social Development 'Aman' program, ensuring the continuation of social support, as well as in the health coverage program of the Ministry of Public Health," the prime minister's office said in a statement.

On Feb. 9, a day after a building collapsed in Tripoli’s Bab al-Tabbaneh neighborhood, the government met in emergency session. The collapse killed 13 people, including a three-year-old child, and injured eight.

After the meeting, the government ordered the evacuation of 114 buildings deemed at risk within one month and pledged to cover rehousing costs for affected residents.

On Monday, President Joseph Aoun asked the ministers, at the start of the Cabinet meeting, to observe a minute of silence in tribute to the victims of the collapses.

Since the beginning of winter, several evacuations have taken place in Tripoli. Authorities have repeatedly warned of the growing risk of collapses in the city, the poorest in Lebanon, where infrastructure is deteriorating due to a chronic lack of funding.

On Thursday, the CMA CGM Foundation, led by Tania Saadeh Zeenny, announced the creation of a one-million-dollar emergency fund to support the country's second-largest city.