Authorities in the Ivory Coast's commercial capital Abidjan said on Saturday seven people were killed and nine others were injured when a building under construction collapsed.

All those who died in the incident, that happened on Friday, were believed to be construction workers. 

The construction ministry said the six-story building was being built illegally in the upscale Cocody neighborhood.

It is the same area where several embassies and the presidential palace are located.

Booming illegal construction in Abidjan

Rescue efforts were ongoing at the site on Saturday, with emergency workers searching through a vast pile of shattered concrete and debris.

Abidjan, a key doorway to West Africa, is undergoing a demographic and economic boom. Several illegally constructed buildings have started mushrooming in the port city.

Incidents like the collapse have increased because of poor enforcement of construction regulations and the use of low-grade construction materials.

mf/lo (AFP, Reuters)