Hundreds feared trapped in Egypt rockslide
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Residents search amongst the rubble after a rockslide in a Cairo shanty town on September 6, 2008. Dozens were killed and hundreds are feared trapped after the massive rockslide hit the area. (Reuters: Nasser Nuri)
Up to 200 people are believed to be trapped under rubble after a rockslide in Egypt, however residents say authorities have been to slow to respond.
At least 24 people have been killed and 36 injured by the massive rockslide at the shantytown in northern Cairo.
The huge rocks, some weighing several tonnes, fell down from the Muqattam hill onto the overcrowded shantytown in al-Duwayqa overnight.
The section of hill that broke away was estimated at 60 metres wide and 15 metres long.
Lawmaker Haidar Bardadi says he expects the death toll to rise drastically as 35 homes had been crushed.
Many residents were still at home resting at the start of their daily fast, as it is the the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
Rescuers with sniffer dogs were at the scene and local people have been using their bare hands in a frantic search for friends and relatives.
But the biggest rocks cannot be moved without specialist equipment.
The reason for the rockfall is not immediately known, but witnesses say work has been taking place on the hill for several weeks and that the authorities had been warned about the dangers.
"They (authorities) were doing some work up on the hill. I am sure this is what caused the rockslide," shoemaker Mohamed Gaber said.
Mohamed al-Sayyed, 80, also blamed the authorities.
"They had said they would evacuate the entire neighbourhood in order to set up an industrial zone. We were happy about this... but they did no such thing."
Driver Abdel Latin Hossam says "there had already been some landslides, slightly hurting some people."
- AFP/BBC
