The death toll from the building collapse in Lebanon has risen to 14.

This is the second disaster of its kind in a few weeks in this city where many buildings are still considered at risk after a powerful earthquake in the region in February 2023.

The building, located in the poor Bab al-Tabbaneh district, comprised two blocks, each consisting of six apartments, and some 22 people were inside at the time of the collapse.

"The search and rescue operations have ended immediately," Civil Defense chief Imad Khreish told reporters.

Eight residents were rescued but "unfortunately 14 people died," he said, revising upwards a previous toll of nine deaths.

The mayor of Tripoli, Abdel Hamid Karimeh, declared the city a "disaster area" on Sunday due to the insecurity of its buildings.

Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam denounced it as a "catastrophe", attributed to "long years of accumulated neglect".

Lebanon has many dilapidated buildings. Many buildings were constructed illegally, particularly during the 1975-1990 civil war, while some owners added floors to buildings without authorization.

In 2024, the human rights organization Amnesty International estimated that "thousands of people" were still living in unsafe buildings in Tripoli, more than a year after a powerful earthquake that mainly struck Turkey and Syria.