CAIRO, June 19 (Xinhua) -- At least eight people were killed when a five-story residential building collapsed in Cairo's El Sayeda Zeinab district, Egypt's state-run Al-Ahram news website reported on Thursday.
The building, located in central Cairo and built in 1951, collapsed early on Wednesday, reducing it to rubble and trapping several residents beneath the debris.
Civil protection forces rescued five survivors with injuries ranging from fractures to deep wounds, Al-Ahram said.
The public prosecution has opened an investigation and is collecting eyewitness testimony to determine the cause of the collapse. Survivors are also being questioned, while search and rescue operations continue amid concerns that more people may still be trapped.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the building contained 12 residential units, eight of which were occupied at the time.
Authorities evacuated neighboring buildings as a precaution and established a security cordon around the site. Police, civil defense teams and ambulances were dispatched immediately after the collapse. ■