A woman and two young girls have died after the roof of a residential building collapsed in Tripoli’s Old City, in the Bab Al-Jadeed area of the capital, according to Libya’s Ambulance and Emergency Service.
The authority confirmed that a male adult was also injured in the incident and has been transferred to Tripoli Central Hospital, where he is receiving medical treatment. The collapse has reignited public concern over deteriorating buildings and the risks facing residents in historic and densely populated areas of the city.
In a strongly worded statement, Tripoli Central Municipality placed full responsibility on the relevant authorities, condemning what it described as the continued restriction of municipal powers. The municipality said these limitations have left local councils unable to intervene effectively or address urgent issues directly linked to public safety and the protection of lives.
Municipal officials said that previous efforts had been made to identify buildings at risk of collapse, with technical assessments and proposed solutions submitted to the competent authorities. However, delays in decision-making and the lack of executive authority prevented timely implementation, ultimately contributing to the tragic outcome.
The scale of the problem appears extensive. Sami Al-Hammadi, Infrastructure Official at Tripoli Central Municipality, said that around 125 homes in areas stretching across Belkhair, Al-Masira Al-Kubra, and Shouqi Street are structurally unsound and at risk of collapse.
Al-Hammadi explained that municipal teams carried out field evaluations and found that some buildings are already on the verge of collapse, while others require immediate evacuation. Several structures, he added, need full demolition and reconstruction due to severe deterioration.
He noted that residents in some of the affected buildings have already been formally notified to evacuate, pending the provision of alternative housing solutions. The municipality confirmed that the full file has been referred to the Tripoli City Development Authority for execution.
The deadly incident has intensified calls for urgent action to address unsafe housing conditions in Tripoli, particularly in the Old City, where aging infrastructure, overcrowding, and delayed maintenance continue to pose a serious threat to residents.