A residential building collapsed on Tuesday afternoon near the Tayouneh roundabout in southern Beirut, prompting urgent warnings from the Lebanese Real Estate Association about the country’s deteriorating infrastructure.
According to Civil Defense officials, the building gave way due to structural cracks caused by repeated Israeli airstrikes during the war between Israel and Hezbollah.
All residents were safely evacuated and no injuries were reported. The Association described the absence of casualties as an act of “divine mercy.”
Despite the lack of casualties, it still emphasized the broader danger posed by Lebanon’s aging and neglected buildings, highlighting the urgent need for comprehensive inspections of areas impacted by both conflict and natural disasters.
The association estimates that between 16,000 and 18,000 buildings in Beirut have sustained damage since the massive port explosion on August 4, 2020.
These figures exclude the northern regions, which suffered further degradation after a powerful earthquake in 2024. Many of the affected structures were built decades earlier without proper permits or adherence to safety standards.
“An alarming number of buildings are ticking time bombs,” warned the association, highlighting that most of these structures were erected before 2005, prior to the implementation of modern seismic and safety regulations.
The growing number of structural failures has reignited fears of public safety amidst the aftermath of war, economic collapse and natural disasters.
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