Two adjoining residential buildings collapsed in Tripoli, Lebanon, on February 8, 2026. The incident killed at least 14 people and injured others. Rescue teams worked through the night to search for survivors.
Incident in Bab al-Tabbaneh
The collapse occurred around 4:30 p.m. in the Bab al-Tabbaneh neighborhood. Civil defense teams responded immediately. They recovered bodies from the rubble of the six-story structures. Moreover officials confirmed the buildings housed 22 residents.
Imad Khreiss, the Civil Defense Director General, stated the search ended on February 9. “We rescued eight people alive from the debris,” Khreiss said. However the death toll rose to 14 as teams found more victims.
Rescue and Recovery Efforts
Emergency workers pulled survivors and bodies from the site. Abdel Hamid Karameh, the head of Tripoli’s municipal council, noted uncertainty about missing persons. “The number of missing people was still unclear,” Karameh stated.
In addition, local activists highlighted neglect. They described the disaster as evidence of forgotten infrastructure in Lebanon’s poorest city.
Broader Concerns Raised
This event marked the fifth building collapse in Tripoli that winter. Authorities warned of deeper problems with old structures. Meanwhile officials evacuated over 100 at-risk buildings in the area.
Samantha Granville, a journalist, reported growing concerns over undermaintained properties. “The latest disaster is the fifth residential building collapse in Tripoli this winter,” Granville wrote.
