Sixteen people, including two children, were killed and 17 injured when a building collapsed in Egypt's Mediterranean city of Alexandria.

Several people were still trapped under the rubble of the six-storey building, which collapsed on Tuesday, and rescue teams were looking for survivors.

The building in a residential neighbourhood of eastern Alexandria was originally three floors high but another three storeys were added illegally.

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Rescue workers inspect where a building collapsed in Alexandria. (AFP)