9 die in building collapse in Egypt

The search is ongoing for victims buried in the debris after a 4-story building collapse killed nine people in Assiut, Egypt, officials said Thursday. The building in downtown Assiut, which belonged to retired army general Zidan Abdallah, collapsed Wednesday night, al-Masry al-Youm reported. Abdallah and his wife were among the nine killed in the collapse, the Civil Defense Authority said Thursday, and the search to find their bodies is ongoing. Yacoub Emam, the governor's secretary, said the building was under construction before it collapsed. "The residents of the next building were evacuated after part of it collapsed as well, and it is being inspected," said Emam. The news report said such collapses in Egypt are common, as many buildings are built in violation of safety regulations, and maintenance of old structures rarely happens.