12 killed in Egypt building collapse

At least 12 people were killed and seven injured early Tuesday when a building collapsed in Egypt's capital Cairo, media reported.

Rescue teams are currently searching for survivors trapped under the rubble in the western Cairo suburb of Matariya where the collapse took place, while the seven injured people have been taken to hospital, Xinhua reported citing state-run Ahram online.

Initial investigations said the eight-storey building's collapse was caused by unauthorised construction of several extra floors on the old building, an official at Cairo's civil protection authority was quoted as saying by Ahram.

Nearby buildings have been evacuated, the official added, noting that the civil authority had previously ordered the old building to be evacuated for its poor condition, but the inhabitants did not respond.

Building collapses are common in Egypt, where unlicensed construction had spread not only in the rural areas but also in the capital's upscale suburbs due to lax governmental supervision and greed of developers.