Death toll from building collapse in Egypt's Cairo rises to 13

Death toll from the collapse of a five-storey building in Egypt's capital Cairo rose to 13, an Egyptian official said on Monday, reported Xinhua.

Out of the 14 people inside the building, only one person survived, Hossam El-Din Fawzy, deputy governor of Cairo, told a local TV channel.

He affirmed that the owner of the first floor decided to remove some of the walls of his apartment for expansion without seeking any scientific or engineering advice, causing the collapse.

The suspect in the accident has been arrested, the official Ahram newspaper reported, citing security sources.

Right after the collapse, rescue teams rushed to the scene to search for the missing people under the rubble.

Meanwhile, two neighboring buildings have been evacuated before their safety is examined.

Egypt's administrative prosecution revealed that a removal order was issued to the building in 1996.

The accident just happened a day after two buildings collapsed in Alexandria and Beheira governorates in northern Egypt, killing five people and wounding 11 others.