German tourist, 2 Egyptian girls die in Luxor building collapse

Cairo, Feb 5 (AFP) A German woman and two Egyptian children were killed Tuesday when a building collapsed in a residential neighbourhood of Egypt's southern city of Luxor, a senior security official told AFP. "So far there is a German tourist who died along with two Egyptian girls," the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

The woman, who had been passing by the building the moment it collapsed at around 6 pm (1600 GMT), succumbed to her injuries soon after arriving in hospital, he said. A German man who had been walking with the woman was injured and taken to the hospital. His relation to the woman was unclear, medical sources and other security officials said.

At least 13 other people were injured and taken to hospital, the sources said. Luxor is one of the country's most important tourist destinations and is home to the tomb of Egypt's legendary Pharaoh Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings.

Authorities have been pushing to revive tourism, a pillar of the Egyptian economy, since mass street protests in 2011 toppled long-time leader Hosni Mubarak and tipped the country into years of unrest. (AFP) RHL

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