Building collapse in Lebanon city of Tripoli kills 14

BEIRUT — At least 14 people were killed when two adjoining buildings collapsed in the Lebanese city of Tripoli on Sunday, the head of the municipal council said.

The death toll, initially at six, rose to 14 after search and rescue operations ended, Lebanon's National News Agency said on Monday, citing the civil defense chief.

Civil defense director general Imad Khreiss said rescue teams recovered 14 bodies and rescued eight people from the rubble of the collapsed buildings in the northern city's Bab al-Tabbaneh neighborhood.

Abdel Hamid Karameh, head of Tripoli's municipal council, said he could not confirm how many people remained missing. Earlier, the head of Lebanon's civil defense rescue service said the two buildings were home to 22 residents.

A number of aging residential buildings have collapsed in Tripoli, Lebanon's second-largest city, in recent weeks, highlighting deteriorating infrastructure and years of neglect, state media reported, citing municipal officials. — Reuters