Jordan building collapse: at least five dead and 14 injured in Amman

Four-storey building collapsed in Weibdeh, one of the Jordanian capital's older districts

People at the site of a collapsed building in Amman sift through the belongings of their relatives left by demolition crews. Khaled Yacoub Oweis / The National

Rescue teams from the Jordanian Civil Defence search for residents of the four-storey apartment building that collapsed. AP

Israa Raed, whose 4-month-old baby girl Malak was removed from the rubble, outside the hospital where her child was receiving treatment. AFP

Rescuers search for survivors under the rubble a four-storey residential building that collapsed in Amman. Reuters

At least 14 people were killed when the building came down in the city's Al Weibdeh district. Reuters

Rescue workers at the scene. Reuters

Rescuers used jackhammers to break and remove huge slabs of concrete that made up the roof. Reuters

Al Weibdeh is an older district of the Jordanian capital that is popular with wealthier residents and expatriates. It also includes some poorer areas. AP

Rescuers identified sections where they thought people could be trapped. AFP

Ambulance crews gather at the site of the collapsed building. AFP

The building collapsed on September 13. Reuters

A crane, bulldozer and lorries were being used to remove rubble from the site. Reuters

Emergency personnel and residents gather in an area near where the building collapsed. AFP

Jordanian police surround the area as Civil Defence teams conduct a search operation for residents of the building. AP

Police spokesman Amer Al Sartawi said rescue teams were 'dealing with the incident'. AFP

Prime Minister Bisher Al Khasawneh visited the area where the building collapsed. AFP

At least five people were killed and 14 others were injured in a building collapse in Amman, Jordan, on Tuesday, official media said.

Police spokesman Amer Al Sartawi said rescue teams “are still dealing with the incident”.

He said the search is ongoing to see whether there are still more people under the rubble.

The four-storey building collapsed on Tuesday afternoon in Weibdeh, a district on one of Amman's original seven hills, Jordanian authorities said.

“Teams from civil defence and the police are dealing with the incident,” state television said. “A number of people are trapped.”

Prime Minister Bisher Al Khasawneh went to scene and urged the teams to do their utmost “until rescue and evacuation operations are over”, an official statement said.

Weibdeh is popular with foreign students living in Amman because it is one of the oldest districts in the relatively new city.

Many of its buildings are from the 1970s, and the district also has many restaurants and cafes.

Buildings codes in Jordan are fairly robust. The city of four million expanded massively after the 1990-1991 Gulf War.