19 dead as two buildings collapse in Morocco

At least 19 people, among them several children, were killed and 16 others injured when two four-storey residential buildings suddenly collapsed on Wednesday afternoon in the Al-Mustaqbal neighborhood of Fez, Morocco’s historic former imperial capital, local authorities confirmed.

The buildings, home to eight families, gave way without warning at approximately 2:30 pm local time. Civil protection units, supported by the Royal Armed Forces and heavy machinery, continued search-and-rescue operations into the night amid fears that the death toll could rise further.

All survivors were transferred to the University Hospital Centre of Fez, where medical sources described several of the injured as being in critical condition.

Video footage circulated on social media showed rescue workers and local residents digging through mountains of rubble while clouds of dust hung over the site.

The tragedy is the latest in a series of deadly building collapses in Morocco, particularly in older urban districts. In February 2024, five people died when a house collapsed in Fez’s medieval medina. Similar incidents in Casablanca and Marrakesh in recent years have claimed additional lives.

Authorities have repeatedly warned about the precarious state of the country’s ageing housing stock, a problem exacerbated by the magnitude-6.8 earthquake that struck the Al Haouz region in September 2023. Post-quake assessments identified more than 12,000 structures in Marrakesh province alone as being at high risk of collapse.

Despite government pledges to relocate residents and reinforce or demolish unsafe buildings, progress has been slow, leaving thousands of low-income families in condemned properties.

An investigation into the exact cause of Wednesday’s collapse has been opened. Authorities have not yet confirmed whether structural weaknesses, substandard materials, or other factors were responsible.

Rescue efforts remain ongoing.

Source: Al Jazeera