Egypt apartment collapse kills two dozen in Alexandria

At least 25 people are dead after an apartment collapsed in Alexandria, Egypt.

Twelve people were reported injured in the incident. Officials are still looking through the rubble for survivors.

The collapse came just a day after the derailment of a train in Cairo that killed 19 police conscripts.

The Associated Press reported that the train crash sparked protests around the country with people demanding better public services.

Many protestors were calling for a renovation of the country's decrepit railways.

The AP said that estimates of overhauling the country's train system are at about $2.3 billion — a huge sum for the struggling nation.

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The reasons for the building collapse remained unclear as of Wednesday afternoon, said the BBC, but it is likely due to builders skirting regulations and building without a permit.

Constructing a building without a proper permit is commonplace in Egypt, where both residential and public infrastructure are crumbling and highly unsafe.

The AP said that the lawlessness that followed the ouster of Hosni Mubarak brought a spike in such construction, and that many buildings could face the same fate.

It is estimated that 318,000 illegal buildings have been erected since 2009, the news agency said.

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