CAIRO : An Egyptian security official says three people were killed including a 75-year-old woman when a two-floor building collapsed in Cairo.
The building, in Old Cairo's shantytown of Abu Qarn, fell apart when a cooking gas canister exploded on Wednesday, the official said. Rescue workers pulled three bodies from under the debris while searching for survivors. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the press.
Building collapses are common in Egypt. Last week, 26 people died when their building was flattened in the Mediterranean city of Alexandria. Violations of building codes have been blamed.
The collapses could stoke criticism of President Mohammed Morsi's administration. Critics accuse the post-revolutionary government of failing to do more to reform the nation and fix public services.