Five people were killed, and 26 others were injured Saturday when two apartment blocks near Beirut collapsed, reported Al-Manar satellite channel.
Rescue official told AFP that people were still thought to be buried under the rubble, but a child had been dug out unharmed.
The five-storey block at Rmaile, 20 kilometers (12 miles) south of the capital, contained a total of 36 apartments, most of which were occupied at the time, police told the agency.
The cause of the collapse was not immediately known, but police said it was not criminal, according to the agency.
Public Works Minister, Najib Mikati, said the owner of the collapsed buildings had been arrested as he tried to flee to Syria, said the TV report.
Mikati said an inquiry had been opened and inspections had begun of neighboring blocks.
He said some 300 apartments in the area had similar characteristics to those of collapsed buildings, said the report.
The coastal region south of Beirut has seen a building boom in recent years, attracting families unable to afford property prices in the capital, but safety standards have not always been respected – (Several Sources)
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