At least 14 people were confirmed dead after two adjoining six-story residential sections collapsed in Tripoli's Bab Al-Milana neighborhood. Rescue teams recovered 14 bodies and pulled eight survivors from the rubble; the complex reportedly housed 22 residents. Prime Minister Nawaf Salam called the event a "humanitarian catastrophe," blaming years of neglect, while the Minister of Social Affairs described the situation as "painful and alarming." Search-and-rescue operations continue amid uncertainty over how many remain missing.
At Least 14 Dead After Two Adjoining Six-Story Buildings Collapse in Tripoli — Rescue Efforts Ongoing
Emergency responders conducting search and rescue operations at the building collapse in Lebanon on Feb.8, 2026Houssam Shbaro/Anadolu via Getty
At least 14 people have been confirmed dead after two adjoining six-story residential sections collapsed on Sunday in the Bab Al-Milana neighborhood of Tripoli, Lebanon, officials said.
The Lebanese Civil Defense said in a Facebook post on Monday, Feb. 9, that rescuers recovered 14 bodies from beneath the rubble and pulled eight people alive from the wreckage. According to the Civil Defense, the connected sections each rose six floors and the complex had been home to 22 residents.
Teams carrying out search and rescue operations at the building collapse in Lebanon on Feb. 8, 2026Houssam Shbaro/Anadolu via Getty
Head of Tripoli's municipal council Abdel Hamid Karameh told Reuters it was unclear how many people remained missing. A video shared by the Civil Defense showed response teams working urgently to free survivors and search for others trapped under the debris.
Government response and statements
The site of the building collapse in Tripoli, Lebanon on February 8, 2026Houssam Shbaro/Anadolu via Getty
Prime Minister Nawaf Salam described the collapse as a "humanitarian catastrophe," saying the government is prepared to provide accommodation for residents who must be evacuated. He attributed the collapse to "years of accumulated neglect," according to the BBC.
Minister of Social Affairs Haneen Sayed wrote on X (formerly Twitter): "What happened today in Tripoli is painful and alarming, and it reminds us of the extent of the fragility that many families in the city live with. Our hearts are with the affected families."
The incident follows a recent local evacuation of a nearby building and comes two weeks after a separate collapse that killed a father and daughter, the BBC reported. Local rescue authorities remain on site conducting search-and-rescue operations, and Lebanese agencies had not immediately responded to additional requests for comment from news organizations.
Photo credit: Houssam Shbaro/Anadolu via Getty
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