Workers pulled eight residents out of the rubble alive. Some of them made desperate mobile phone calls, begging for help. The seven-story building had several floors illegally added onto it. This is a common fact in many areas of Cairo. Egyptian developers seeking bigger profits frequently build without permits. Corruption and lax government oversight are blamed by common people who are in danger to become victims in such tragic events. The owner of the collapsed building died six months ago. He defied a court ruling issued five years ago and illegally built several extra floors. A total of 37 other buildings were ordered to be removed for being illegally built since 2012 only in the Matariya district but however nothing happened. ‘This is extreme act of negligence by our government’, said one the residents in the area to media.
