People and rescuers gather around the rubble of a building in the popular area of Gesr Giza, Cairo. AFP

The death toll from the collapse of a nine-story apartment building in Cairo has climbed to 18, Egyptian state media reported.

The building collapsed early on Saturday. State newspaper Al-Ahram said that search and rescue workers recovered the bodies over the course of the day.

Excavators could be seen digging through the debris in the el-Salam neighbourhood. Police cordoned off the area, keeping back the curious and people apparently looking for relatives in the building, according to The Associated Press.

Rescue workers and volunteers inspect the area where a building was collapsed in Gesr al-Suez, Cairo. Reuters

"They took four people out in front of me, who looked like they were almost gone,” said Mohamamed Mostafa, a resident of the neighborhood.

"The governorate's crisis room was informed at 3:00 am (0100 GMT) of the collapse of a building consisting of a basement, a ground floor and nine (upper) floors," the Cairo governorate said in a statement, according to AFP.

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At least 24 others were injured and taken to hospitals, according to a statement by Khalid Abdel-Al, the administrative head of Cairo governorate. The death toll provided by his office stayed at nine as of Saturday evening.

It was not immediately clear what caused the building's collapse. An engineering committee was formed to examine the structural integrity of neighboring buildings, Abdel-Al said.

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 Cairo and the Mediterranean city of Alexandria, developers seeking bigger profits frequently violate building permits. Extra floors often are added without proper permits.

The government has recently launched a crackdown on illegal building across the country, jailing violators and in many cases destroying the buildings.

People inspect the area where a building was collapsed in Gesr al-Suez, Cairo, Egypt on Saturday. Reuters

"Khaled Abdel Aal, the governor, immediately went to the site of the incident accompanied by civil protection forces," the statement added.

He ordered the "establishment of an engineering committee" to inspect surrounding buildings and evaluate the impact.

Egypt has suffered several deadly building collapses in recent years, due to the dilapidation of many premises and poor adherence to planning regulations.

With real estate at a premium in big cities like Cairo and the Mediterranean city of Alexandria, developers seeking bigger profits frequently violate building permits. Extra floors often are added without proper government permits.