Wall collapse kills 6 at Egypt coffeehouse

Security officials in Egypt say a wall has collapsed on customers at a coffeehouse in the port city of Alexandria, killing six people and injuring seven.

Lt. Col. Mohammed Ismail, head of investigations at the city's Sidi Gaber police station, said that the wall, which was still under construction, fell Thursday on the patrons in a central neighborhood of the city.

It was not immediately known what caused the collapse, but violations of building codes have been blamed in the past for similar incidents.

Building collapses are not uncommon in Egypt, where shoddy construction is widespread in shantytowns, poor city neighborhoods and rural areas. With real estate at a premium in big cities like Alexandria and Cairo, developers seeking bigger profits frequently violate planning permits.