ALEXANDRIA, Nov. 1 (Aswat Masriya) - A three-storey building collapsed in west Alexandria on Sunday, killing one woman and injuring another, after the family residing in it refused to evacuate the building, a source at the civil protection forces said.

The building, which housed a family of three, had been issued a demolition order.  

Amr Gaballah, the director of civil protection in the coastal Mediterranean city said a search and rescue operation is underway to find the third person underneath the rubble. 

In a separate incident, civil protection units rescued the residents of a four-storey building, also in west Alexandria when the staircase collapsed trapping the residents inside. 

Building collapses are not uncommon in Egypt, especially in Alexandria. Last week, three people were killed and eight were injured when a building collapsed in east Alexandria. 

This came days after heavy rains across Alexandria flooded the city, prompting then-governor Hany al-Messiry to resign in the aftermath of the floods and amid a public uproar against the city's dilapidated infrastructure. 

Last month, seven people were killed and two injured when a building collapsed in Cairo's densely-populated Shubra neighbourhood. 

Many buildings across Egypt were constructed in violation of safety standards and regulations. Others are on the verge of collapse for lack of periodic maintenance. 

Despite the risk, residents continue to occupy these building because of the unavailability of alternatives. With a population of 89.7 million, Egypt is the Arab world's most populous country.