Morocco Building Collapse Kills 22 in Fez

At least twenty-two people have lost their lives and sixteen others sustained injuries after two buildings collapsed in Fez, Morocco, overnight, authorities have confirmed.

The Fez prosecutor stated in a press release that one of the buildings was unoccupied at the time of the incident. However, the second building was hosting an Aqiqah, a traditional Islamic celebration marking the birth of a child.

Officials have indicated that the death toll is preliminary and investigations are underway to determine the cause of the collapse. According to reports, eight families resided in the building where the Aqiqah was being held.

A survivor, speaking to Medi1 TV, recounted the harrowing experience, revealing he had lost his wife and three children. “Rescuers have retrieved one body, but we are still waiting for the others,” he said, his voice filled with grief.

Footage from SNRT News showed a scene of frantic activity, with rescue workers and local residents working tirelessly to sift through the rubble. An elderly woman, wrapped in a blanket, told SNRT News, “My son, who lives upstairs, told me the building is coming down. When we went out, we saw the building collapsing.”

Witnesses at the scene, as reported by SNRT News, stated that the buildings in the Al-Mustaqbal neighbourhood had displayed visible cracks for some time before the collapse. The densely populated area is located in the west of the city.

Local authorities have launched both a judicial and a technical-administrative investigation to ascertain the factors that led to the collapse of the four-storey structures. The buildings were constructed in 2006 as part of a government initiative aimed at providing housing for residents of the city’s shantytowns.

This incident marks one of the worst building collapses in Morocco in the last fifteen years. In 2010, the fall of a minaret in Meknes resulted in the deaths of forty-one people.

The collapse comes amidst existing social tensions in Morocco. Fez, like other cities, experienced anti-government protests two months ago, fueled by concerns over deteriorating living conditions and inadequate public services. Furthermore, Housing Secretary of State Adib Ben Ibrahim revealed in January that approximately 38,800 buildings nationwide are considered at risk of collapse.

Recent youth-led unrest in October highlighted widespread anger over poverty and the provision of public services, particularly as the government prioritizes large-scale infrastructure projects in preparation for the 2030 FIFA World Cup. Fez, selected to host matches for both the World Cup and the ongoing African Cup of Nations tournament, is known to have some of the country’s most impoverished communities.

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