The Minister of Labor, Dr. Muhammad Haider, offered his sincere condolences and sympathy to the families of the victims who lost their lives as a result of the collapse of the residential building in the city of Tripoli, praying to God Almighty to cover them with His vast mercy and dwell them in His spacious paradise, and to grant their families and loved ones patience and solace. He also expressed his wishes for a speedy recovery for the injured and wounded, wishing them a quick and safe return to the arms of their families.
In a statement issued by him, “Haider” stressed that the incidents of collapse of old and dilapidated buildings in Tripoli and the north represent a serious danger that cannot be overlooked or underestimated, which requires urgent and responsible action from all concerned agencies and authorities, with the aim of putting a final end to this recurring disaster before it causes the loss of more innocent lives.
He also stressed that the people of Tripoli and the North deserve all forms of care, care and attention, stressing that preserving the dignity of the citizen and providing him with safe housing are considered among the basic rights that the state must adhere to and provide, calling for the acceleration of taking the necessary preventive measures and providing the necessary funding to address the situation of cracked buildings that are about to fall, in order to protect the population and preserve their lives.
This position expressed by the Minister of Labor comes after the painful tragedy that the city of Tripoli witnessed as a result of the collapse of a residential building in the Bab al-Tabbaneh area, an incident that strongly brought back into the spotlight the issue of dilapidated buildings threatening to collapse in the city and the northern region in general. This disaster was preceded by many repeated warnings from official and local authorities about the deteriorating construction conditions in a number of popular neighborhoods, in light of harsh living and economic conditions that prevented residents from being able to carry out the necessary restoration and repair work.
This tragedy was accompanied by a widespread state of alert of the concerned agencies and rescue teams, in addition to a series of official and political positions that demanded finding a radical and comprehensive solution to this issue, providing safe shelter for those affected, and establishing clear-cut executive mechanisms to prevent the recurrence of similar incidents in the future. These developments also raised anew the debate about the responsibilities of the state and municipalities in protecting citizens’ residential security, in light of what was described as “accumulated negligence that turned threatened buildings into time bombs in the heart of the city.”
