The dramatic toll of the collapse of a four-storey building in Amman continues to grow. Five people died and 14 others were injured in the disaster on Tuesday, according to Jordan’s Public Security Directorate spokesman Amer Al-Sartawi.
The tragedy occurred in the center of the capital. Research is still ongoing in the rubble of this residential building.
The head of government goes there
The collapse is due in particular to the fact that the building is “old and dilapidated”, said the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Local Administration, Taoufik Krichane on the official Al-Mamlaka television channel. He added that authorities were “inspecting the condition of nearby buildings”.
Accompanied by several ministers, the head of government, Bicher al-Khasawneh, went to the scene of the accident in Jabal al-Weibdeh, one of the oldest bohemian districts of Amman, popular especially among expatriates and known for its lively cultural life. “The Prime Minister has instructed the mayor of the capital to investigate the causes” of the tragedy, said government spokesman Faïsal Chboul. A judicial source for his part indicated that “the prosecution had opened an investigation into the collapse of the building”.