The death toll of a landslide in the east of the Egyptian capital of Cairo on Saturday has climbed to20, security sources and media report said.
At least 23 others were injured in the landslide in El-Deweiqaarea, close to the eastern Cairo suburb of Nasr City, according to the Egyptian official MENA news agency.
Rescue teams rushed to the spot and are still working to search for survivors of the landslide that leveled a number of shanties in the slum area in the east of the capital, a Xinhua correspondent said.
Several boulders, estimated to weigh between 60 and 70 tons, buried some 30 houses at the foot of the Muqattam hill. Rescuers on the spot are waiting for professional machines to remove the boulders.
The casualties are expected to rise since an unknown number of people are estimated buried in the debris.
According to witnesses, the massive landslide occurred at about9:00 a.m. (0700 GMT) in the morning and dozens of houses were hit heavily by the boulders.
The shantytown hit by the landslide is opposite to a police training center in El-Deweiqa area, close to the eastern Cairosuburb of Nasr City.
The injured were rushed to nearby hospitals, including El-Zahraa and El-Demerdash hospitals, for treatment. Neighboring areas have been evacuated in fear of more landslides.
Source: Xinhua
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