Governor Ibrahim Saber on Saturday ordered the evacuation of the nearby buildings in the Al-Sahel neighbourhood as a precaution, and an engineering committee was formed to investigate the cause of the collapse, Xinhua news agency reported, quoting the Cairo Governate's statement.

Initial reports indicate that the collapse was caused by an illegal expansion by a ground-floor resident who demolished a wall inside their apartment, according to the Cairo Governorate.

The statement noted that rescue teams are still searching for survivors under the rubble.