Two buildings collapse in Fez, several killed
Ahmed Elimam And Ahmed El Jechtimi
Updated ,first published
Rabat: At least 22 people were killed and 16 injured when two adjacent buildings collapsed overnight in Fez, one of Morocco’s oldest cities, the prosecutor said.
The Fez prosecutor said in a statement that one of the buildings was empty, while the second hosted the Aqiqah ceremony, a traditional Muslim celebration of the birth of a child.
The prosecutor said that the death toll was preliminary and an investigation had been launched.
In the statement made by local authorities, it was stated that eight families lived in the building where the celebration was held. Both buildings were four stories high.
A survivor who lost his wife and three children told local Medi1 TV in the early hours that rescue teams were able to recover one body but he was still waiting for the others.
SNRT News footage shows rescue workers and residents digging through the rubble.
“My son, who lives upstairs, told me that the building was going to collapse. When we went out, we saw that the building had collapsed,” an elderly woman wrapped in a blanket told SNRT News without giving her name.
State-owned broadcaster SNRT News reported that witnesses at the scene said buildings in the Al-Mustaqbal neighborhood, a densely populated area in the west of the city, had been showing signs of cracking for some time.
Reuters could not independently verify SNRT’s damage report, and the Home Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Fez, an ancient capital dating back to the eighth century and the country’s third most populous city, was among the cities caught in a wave of anti-government protests two months ago over deteriorating living conditions and poor public services.
About 38,800 buildings across the country were classified as at risk of collapse in January, housing minister Adib Ben Ibrahim said.
Wednesday’s collapse was one of the worst in Morocco since the collapse of a minaret in the historic northern city of Meknes in 2010, killing 41 people.
Most of Morocco’s population, financial and industrial centers, and vital infrastructure are concentrated in the northwest, with the rest of the country dependent on agriculture, fishing, and tourism.
In October, youth-led unrest revealed deep anger over poverty and public services as the government pushed ahead with ambitious infrastructure projects and the opening of modern stadiums ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup.
Fez, one of the cities that will host the World Cup and this month’s Africa Cup of Nations football tournament, has some of the poorest neighborhoods in the country.
Reuters
Take notes directly from our foreign country reporters about things that make headlines around the world. Sign up for our weekly What’s on in the World Newsletter.
