Report: Building collapse in northern Egypt kills 5 women

The report by the daily Al-Ahram said that along with the five deaths, a 70-year-old woman was injured when the five-story building in the city's Attarin neighbourhood collapsed on Friday.

Rescue workers recovered three survivors who were taken to hospital. It wasn't clear if there were any people unaccounted for in the building.

It was also not immediately known what caused the collapse but such incidents are common in Egypt, where shoddy construction is widespread in shantytowns, poor city neighbourhoods and rural areas. In March, an apartment building collapsed in Cairo, killing at least 25 people.

With real estate at a premium in big cities like Alexandria and Cairo, developers seeking bigger profits frequently violate planning permits. Extra floors often are added without proper government permits.

The government has recently launched a crackdown on illegal building across the country, jailing violators and in many cases destroying the buildings.