Authorities to demolish thousands of buildings in Alexandria

CAIRO – 10 September 2017: The Governor of Alexandria Mohamed Sultan issued an order Sunday to demolish all buildings that are at risk of collapsing; a step owners refrained to take to avoid the ensuing costs of putting at risk the lives of residents in neighboring buildings.

These buildings’ lands would be seized by the governorate authorities till the demolition costs are reimbursed by the owners.

Some of these buildings are inhabited but the municipal authorities would compensate residents with alternative units in social housing compounds for little rent fees, if their financial status proved their merit.

That plan has originated from the recent case of Azarita leaning building. A 12-story building in Al-Azarita, an Alexandrian neighborhood, leaned over another building on July 1 due to structural damage. All 19 resident families were evacuated from both buildings, and no injuries or deaths have been reported.

A municipal decision in 2004 had ordered the building’s demolition after a slight lean due to the unlawful construction of extra floors was detected. However, the decision was not executed because the residents refused to evacuate the building.

The land on which it was built will be sold in a public auction, if the cost of its demolition is not paid by residents.

A study conducted by the authorities in Alexandria in 2015 revealed that 5,000 buildings are at risk of collapsing.