22 killed after two buildings collapse in Morocco, rescue ops underway
A tragic building collapse in Fez has claimed at least 22 lives, highlighting long-standing neglect in the city's housing infrastructure. Rescue efforts continue amid growing concerns over urban safety and development challenges in Morocco.
At least 22 people were killed and 16 others injured when two adjacent buildings collapsed overnight in Fez, one of Morocco’s oldest and most densely populated cities, officials said on Wednesday. According to the Fez prosecutor, one of the four-storey buildings was unoccupied, while the other was hosting an Aqiqah ceremony, a traditional Muslim celebration marking the birth of a child, when it came crashing down.
Authorities warned that the death toll is preliminary, with rescue workers still pulling victims from the rubble. A judicial investigation has been opened, alongside a technical probe to determine what caused the structures to fail.
Eight families lived in the building where the celebration was taking place. Heart-wrenching accounts emerged from survivors, including a man who told Medi1 TV that he had lost his wife and three children. “They retrieved one body I’m still waiting for the others,” he said through tears.
State broadcaster SNRT News aired footage of frantic rescue teams and residents digging through debris with whatever tools they could find. One elderly woman, wrapped in a blanket, recalled the terrifying moment the collapse began. “My son who lives upstairs told me the building is coming down. When we went out, we saw the building collapsing,” she told reporters.
Witnesses said the structures in the Al-Mustaqbal neighbourhood, a crowded district in western Fez, had shown cracks for some time. The buildings, constructed in 2006 under a government scheme that allowed residents of local shantytowns to build their own homes on allocated plots, had reportedly been deteriorating.
Authorities noted that Wednesday’s disaster is one of the deadliest building collapses in Morocco in the past 15 years, surpassed only by the 2010 Meknes tragedy, when a minaret collapse killed 41 people.
Fez, a former imperial capital dating back to the eighth century, has recently been a focal point of public anger. The city was among several that witnessed anti-government protests two months ago over worsening living conditions and poor public services. Housing Secretary of State Adib Ben Ibrahim said earlier this year that nearly 38,800 buildings across Morocco have been classified as being at risk of collapse, highlighting a nationwide crisis.
The tragedy also casts a shadow over Morocco’s preparations for major upcoming sporting events. Fez is scheduled to host matches for the 2030 FIFA World Cup and the African Cup of Nations this month, even as many of its neighbourhoods remain among the poorest in the country.
At least 22 people were killed and 16 others injured when two adjacent buildings collapsed overnight in Fez, one of Morocco’s oldest and most densely populated cities, officials said on Wednesday. According to the Fez prosecutor, one of the four-storey buildings was unoccupied, while the other was hosting an Aqiqah ceremony, a traditional Muslim celebration marking the birth of a child, when it came crashing down.
Authorities warned that the death toll is preliminary, with rescue workers still pulling victims from the rubble. A judicial investigation has been opened, alongside a technical probe to determine what caused the structures to fail.
Eight families lived in the building where the celebration was taking place. Heart-wrenching accounts emerged from survivors, including a man who told Medi1 TV that he had lost his wife and three children. “They retrieved one body I’m still waiting for the others,” he said through tears.
State broadcaster SNRT News aired footage of frantic rescue teams and residents digging through debris with whatever tools they could find. One elderly woman, wrapped in a blanket, recalled the terrifying moment the collapse began. “My son who lives upstairs told me the building is coming down. When we went out, we saw the building collapsing,” she told reporters.
Witnesses said the structures in the Al-Mustaqbal neighbourhood, a crowded district in western Fez, had shown cracks for some time. The buildings, constructed in 2006 under a government scheme that allowed residents of local shantytowns to build their own homes on allocated plots, had reportedly been deteriorating.
Authorities noted that Wednesday’s disaster is one of the deadliest building collapses in Morocco in the past 15 years, surpassed only by the 2010 Meknes tragedy, when a minaret collapse killed 41 people.
Fez, a former imperial capital dating back to the eighth century, has recently been a focal point of public anger. The city was among several that witnessed anti-government protests two months ago over worsening living conditions and poor public services. Housing Secretary of State Adib Ben Ibrahim said earlier this year that nearly 38,800 buildings across Morocco have been classified as being at risk of collapse, highlighting a nationwide crisis.
The tragedy also casts a shadow over Morocco’s preparations for major upcoming sporting events. Fez is scheduled to host matches for the 2030 FIFA World Cup and the African Cup of Nations this month, even as many of its neighbourhoods remain among the poorest in the country.