A five-storey building fell down in Cairo on Friday, killing up to eight people who were inside. The accident happened in Abdel Fattah Nasser Street in the city's Shubra district.

Collapses of buildings are a frequent occurrence in Egypt. Regarding the latest accident, al-Masry al-Youm says a lawyer had hired some workers to restore the first floor of the property without first notifying the district council. 

Posted by Brian Whitaker, 4 July 2010.

UPDATE, 6 July: Al-Masry al-Youm reported that a contractor and and a lawyer have been arrested. The final death toll appears to be seven people, including three children. The building was constructed in 1946.