By Xinhua,
Cairo : A massive landslide hit a shanty town in the east of the Egyptian capital of Cairo on Saturday, crushing dozens of houses and killing at least 23 people.
The massive landslide occurred at about 9:00 local time (0700 GMT) in the morning and dozens of houses were hit heavily by the boulders, witnesses told Xinhua.
The witnesses and survived residents said they heard the loud bang like an earthquake or explosion in the morning when the boulders broke away from the cliff of el-Muqattam hill.
Egyptian Health Ministry said in the latest statement that 23 people have been confirmed dead in the incident, denying earlier reports that the death toll had climbed to 30.
At least 39 others were injured in the rockslide in El-Deweiqa area, close to the eastern Cairo suburb of Nasr City, according to the statement.
Rescue teams on the spot are still working to search for survivors of the landslide that leveled a number of shanties in the slum area in the east of the capital, a Xinhua correspondent said.
Several boulders, estimated to weigh between 60 and 70 tons, buried some 30 houses at the foot of el-Muqattam hill. Rescuers on the spot are trying to remove the boulders.
After the occurrence of the incident, Egypt’s Armed Forces dispatched a number of its units to the area to help carry out rescue operations.
The casualties are expected to rise since an unknown number of people are estimated buried in the debris.
The shantytown hit by the landslide is opposite to a police training center in El-Deweiqa area, close to the eastern Cairo suburb of Nasr City.
The injured were rushed to nearby hospitals, including El-Zahraa and El-Demerdash hospitals, for treatment.
According to the Egyptian official MENA news agency, Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is concerned about the accident.
Mubarak has given directives to send the injured to nearby hospitals for treatment and swiftly recover victims from under the rubbles, Prime Minister Ahmed Nazef said.
Mubarak also ordered to provide shelters for those whose houses have been destroyed or buried by the boulders, added Nazef.
Following his visit to Hussein Hospital that hosts some injured people, Nazef told reporters that he held an emergency meeting with a number of ministers and Cairo’s governor to step up rescue efforts.
Later in the day, Deputy Cairo Governor for the Eastern Area Mokhtar el-Hamalawi said that a camp with 100 tents has been set up at el-Fostat area.
Meanwhile, experts warned on Saturday of a possible recurrence of the massive rockslide. Neighboring areas have been evacuated in fear of more tragedies.
Chairman of the National Research Institute of Astronomy and Geophysics Salah Mahmoud said some houses in the area should be evacuated.
In cooperation with the Geological Survey Authority, the institute has prepared a report on the geology of el-Muqattam area, said Mahmoud.
Egyptian Minister of Social Solidarity Ali Moselhi said the authorities are considering means of compensation to those suffered from the incident.
The government would take necessary steps to get rid of slum areas in the capital, said the minister, calling on citizens not to build houses in dangerous areas such as El-Deweiqa area at the foot of hills.