A residential complex collapsed in the Syrian city of Aleppo. At least 16 people were killed and four injured. It is said that the collapse was caused by a water leakage that affected the foundation of the residential complex.

The number of deaths may continue to rise. Residents and firefighters are still searching for survivors. About thirty people lived in the five-story building.

The building is located in a neighborhood controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces, a Kurdish group backed by the United States. The Syrian Democratic Forces said in a statement that the Syrian government forces have been preventing the supply of basic equipment for years, which prevents the rebuilding of homes.

The government controls the surrounding neighborhoods. Tens of thousands of buildings in Aleppo were severely damaged by the nearly 12-year war, and many of them are still in poor condition.

After the outbreak of the Syrian popular uprising in 2011 against the regime of President Assad, Aleppo was a stronghold of the opposition for many years. In December 2016, the city was returned to government forces with the help of the Russian military.

Before the war, Aleppo was a vibrant city and the commercial center of the country. An estimated half a million Syrians have died as a result of the war. Half the population has fled.