At least 13 people were killed when a seven-storey building collapsed in a Cairo suburb, Egyptian police officials have said.

They said eight other residents of the building were injured in the incident in Matariya in the west of the capital early today.

Rescue teams are searching for other survivors trapped under the rubble and several surrounding buildings have been evacuated.

The officials said the collapse was caused by unauthorised construction of several extra storeys on the old building.

Building collapses are common in Egypt, where shoddy construction is widespread in shanty towns, poor city neighbourhoods and rural areas. With a housing shortage and lax government oversight, developers seeking bigger profits frequently build without authorisation or permits.