DAMASCUS, Syria (AP) — The ceiling of a landmark building from the 1800s under renovation in Syria’s capital collapsed Wednesday, killing two workers and injuring several others, state media reported.
Rescuers were searching for workers still trapped in the rubble of the building, known as the Grand Serail, in the central Marjeh Square of Damascus, state news agency SANA said.
The search is complicated by a reluctance to use heavy machinery out of fear that the building might collapse, SANA quoted the head of the Syrian Civil Defense in Damascus, Hasan al-Hassan, as saying.
The building, dating to the late 19th century when Syria was part of the Ottoman Empire, has in the past been used as offices for the Interior Ministry.
When Syria’s long-time autocratic ruler, President Bashar Assad, was removed from power by insurgents last December during the country’s civil war, parts of the building were damaged in a fire.
Syria’s 14-year conflict left half a million people dead, and critics say it kept Assad’s government from doing necessary renovation work to state institutions and infrastructure.
“The old regime neglected this building for years,” Interior Ministry spokesman Noureddine al-Baba told reporters outside the building.
