CAIRO - The death toll of the building collapse on early Wednesday in Egypt's northern seaside city of Alexandria rose to 24, and 12 injured people have been rescued, Health Ministry's spokesman Ahmed Omar told Xinhua.

Omar said the number may increase as the rescue team is still working at the collapse spot.

He told Xinhua earlier that the dead bodies were transferred to the morgue of Koum al-Dikka in Alexandria, while the injured people were taken to nearby hospitals at Alexandria's Abou Qir area.

An eight-storey building in Alexandria's suburb of Maamoura collapsed early Wednesday. Governor of Alexandria Mohamed Abbas Ata said the building was illegally constructed without an official permit, according to state-run MENA news agency.