A baby in Egypt could be a family's sole survivor in the collapse of a building last Saturday. According to reports, the six-month-old baby was found alive by rescuers in the rubbles of a collapsed building where there is a recorded death toll of 25 people.
The building that collapsed is a nine-story apartment building in the el-Salam neighborhood in Cairo, Egypt's capital. Aside from the recorded 25 deaths, 26 people were also injured when the building collapsed.
Baby could be the family's sole survivor
In the CBS report, the six-month-old baby boy lives in the apartment building with his parents and siblings. Unfortunately, the baby's mother and father have already been found dead by rescuers.
The baby boy has two siblings. His sister was found dead along with their parents. However, his older brother is still missing. This report was obtained through an Egyptian official who released details on the condition of anonymity. The official had to remain anonymous because they are not allowed to give these statements about the incident.
The baby's condition
After being rescued, authorities sent the baby to the hospital. On Sunday, reports say that the baby is already in stable condition. However, there are still no reports yet regarding the whereabouts of the baby boy's older brother. Because his parents died, he now in the custody of the country's civil protection agency.
The cause of the building collapse
As of writing, there is no formal statement regarding why the building collapsed. However, the Egyptian government is moving forward to know the cause of the building collapse.
According to Khalid Abdel-Al, the Cairo governorate's administrative head, the structural integrity of buildings close to el-Salam is being examined by an engineering committee.
Building collapses in Egypt
Reports also disclosed that building collapses had been recently occurring in Egypt. These incidents have been recorded in rural areas and poor neighborhoods in Egypt.
Last February, African News reported an apartment building that partially collapsed. This incident happened in the Roud el-Farag neighborhood in Cairo. At least three people from one family died in the collapse.
Irregularities in the real estate industry in Egypt
Because of the rise in the number of real estate development in Cairo and the Mediterranean city of Alexandria, developers are looking for more significant profits.
However, because of this, there have been reported frequent violations of building permits. These violations include adding extra floors even without permits.
Due to the recent building collapses, the Egyptian government has decided to crack down on illegal buildings. These crackdowns result in fining violators. If not fined, those found to be violating building and planning permits are jailed. Even at some point, some buildings were destroyed due to violation.
