No fewer than three persons died on Wednesday when a dilapidated building collapsed in the Egyptian city of Alexandria, a security source said. 

“Ambulances and civil protection workers are at the scene” and search operations are underway, said the source, who did not want to be named.

According to the source, the affected building, in the city’s Moharram Bek district, had for three different occasions been the subject of demolition orders.

The source added that two children had been rescued.

This is one of several fatal collapses of buildings in recent years in Egypt.