Rabat – A collapse of a multi-story residential building in Fez killed at least nine people and injured at least seven in Hay El Hassani district in Fez.
The tragedy took place overnight between Thursday and Friday, and has left people in Fez and across Morocco in shock and frustration.
Local authorities said civil protection and rescue operators rushed to the area immediately upon receiving reports of the collapse.
“All necessary measures were taken, including securing the perimeter of the incident and evacuating residents of neighboring buildings as a precautionary measure to ensure their safety in case of further potential collapses,” the authorities said.
The same source said that they are conducting ongoing searches through the rubble to ensure there are no additional victims, injured or individuals trapped.
Injured victims were promptly taken to a local hospital in Fez to receive necessary medical care.
An investigation is ongoing regarding the collapse of the building.
Authorities said the building was listed among structures at risk of collapse and has been subject to evacuation orders.
Many similar incidents have taken place across Morocco.
In March, also in Fez, an abandoned house collapsed in the old medina.
The structure was unoccupied at the time, and authorities confirmed that no injuries or fatalities were reported.
A two-story house also collapsed in Casablanca, leaving three people injured in March.
Throughout the years, Morocco’s government has been pledging to tackle at-risk buildings across the country.
In September 2023, Morocco identified over 12,000 buildings as vulnerable, many as a result of the structural damages that occurred after the devastating earthquake that struck the Al Haouz region on September 8 of the same year.
Throughout the years, local authorities also started demolishing buildings at risk of collapsing.
The areas concerned mostly covered buildings in old medinas in Rabat, Marrakech, and Casablanca.
