Civil Defense Urges Citizens to Clear the Way for Rescue Teams
2/9/2026 7:11:00 AM
The Media and Public Relations Office of the General Directorate of Civil Defense issued the following statement:
At approximately 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, a residential building consisting of two sections, each six stories high, collapsed in the Bab al-Tabbaneh area of Tripoli, trapping a number of residents beneath the rubble.
Civil Defense teams immediately launched search and rescue operations and conducted a thorough on-site survey using specialized equipment and machinery. As of this hour, nine bodies have been recovered from under the debris. Six people, including a child, were rescued and provided with medical assistance after being pulled from the rubble. Another individual who sustained a gunshot wound was also treated. All injured were transferred to hospitals in the area.
Search and rescue operations were carried out in coordination with teams from the Lebanese Red Cross, Caritas Lebanon, and the Rescue and Emergency Authority.
Meanwhile, Civil Defense units extinguished fires that broke out in gas cylinders inside a nearby building adjacent to the collapsed structure. The blaze was fully contained, preventing it from spreading to surrounding buildings.
Search operations remain ongoing to locate and rescue any remaining individuals trapped beneath the debris.
The General Directorate of Civil Defense warned that crowding and lack of discipline around the site are seriously hindering rescue efforts and putting both trapped individuals and emergency responders at risk.
Authorities are therefore urging citizens to immediately clear the area surrounding the collapse site without exception and to refrain entirely from approaching the scene, in order to allow specialized teams to carry out their operations with the required speed and precision.
At approximately 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, a residential building consisting of two sections, each six stories high, collapsed in the Bab al-Tabbaneh area of Tripoli, trapping a number of residents beneath the rubble.
Civil Defense teams immediately launched search and rescue operations and conducted a thorough on-site survey using specialized equipment and machinery. As of this hour, nine bodies have been recovered from under the debris. Six people, including a child, were rescued and provided with medical assistance after being pulled from the rubble. Another individual who sustained a gunshot wound was also treated. All injured were transferred to hospitals in the area.
Search and rescue operations were carried out in coordination with teams from the Lebanese Red Cross, Caritas Lebanon, and the Rescue and Emergency Authority.
Meanwhile, Civil Defense units extinguished fires that broke out in gas cylinders inside a nearby building adjacent to the collapsed structure. The blaze was fully contained, preventing it from spreading to surrounding buildings.
Search operations remain ongoing to locate and rescue any remaining individuals trapped beneath the debris.
The General Directorate of Civil Defense warned that crowding and lack of discipline around the site are seriously hindering rescue efforts and putting both trapped individuals and emergency responders at risk.
Authorities are therefore urging citizens to immediately clear the area surrounding the collapse site without exception and to refrain entirely from approaching the scene, in order to allow specialized teams to carry out their operations with the required speed and precision.