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Rabat – Israel’s Foreign Ministry has extended a condolences message to Morocco after floods in an illegal sweatshop in Tangier, northern Morocco, claimed the lives of 28 people.
In a tweet, the ministry expressed condolences to the families of the victims.
“Our hearts are with our brothers and sisters in Morocco,” the ministry concluded.
The case dates back to February 8, when floods caused a short circuit in an illegal industrial unit hosted in the underground garage of a residential villa.
The tragedy claimed the lives of 28 people, according to official figures. To data, security services have rescued 17 people from the tragic event.
The heartbreaking event caused uproar among Moroccans and residents, with many criticizing the government for complacency or inaction when it comes to the monitoring of illegal factories or establishments.
Many citizens and activists have also expressed their anger against the lack of forceful actions to tackle such socio-economic issues with shared responsibility.
Some public figures and activists took to social networks to denounce officials’ inactions and their decision to throw blames on a third party.
Read Also: ‘Heartbreaking:’ Government’s Inaction Causes Anger After Tangier’s Tragedy
Most senior officials, including labor minister Mohamed Mekraz turned to expressing condolences, saying that an investigation is ongoing to determine the circumstances that led to the tragic incident.
While authorities point fingers and promise to punish “all those responsible,” most citizens and unionists believe that a number of public officials, especially the labor minister, should just resign.
Ali Lotfi, the Secretary-General of the Democratic Labor Union (ODT) has even questioned whether the illegal unit was a “secret” working place since everyone knew of its existence in the region.
“Everyone sees women and men enter and leave the unit. Everyone knows there is an industrial unit in the region. It is not a secret unit since everyone knows about it,” he said.
He called on the labor minister to show some responsibility and resign, saying the government needs to tackle this “political scandal” with responsibility.
“This is not the first incident or the first phenomenon. Illegal units are operating across the country, they are in Rabat, Casablanca, Fez, and other regions,” Lotfi argued.
