The collapse of two buildings that occurred on Wednesday night in the northern Moroccan city of Fez claimed at least 22 lives. It was reported by the AFP agency, according to which it is about the most tragic incident of its kind in the country in recent years.
Among the dead are women and children. 16 people were injured. Local residents told AFP that the buildings did not meet construction standards – are allowed in this district only two-story buildings, but both collapsed buildings had four floors each.
The prosecutor’s office stated that in one of the buildings a family celebration was taking place at the time of her collapsethe other was uninhabited. Authorities have launched an investigation to “determine the true causes” of the tragedy.
According to the regional commander of civil protection, Abdal Aziz Mašmaša, they were rescue work completed on Wednesday afternoon. The tragedy took place in a neighborhood where families from poor suburbs were to be resettled.
Preliminary information shows that the buildings were built in 2006. According to state television SNRT, both buildings had visible cracks for a long time. However, the building manager took no action.
The tragedy took place at a time when the Moroccan authorities themselves are acknowledging the scale of the problem. In January, Secretary of State at the Ministry of Construction, Adib bin İbrahim, said that approximately 38,800 buildings in the country were classified as “at risk of collapse”. In several large cities – Casablanca, Marrakesh, Tangier and Fez – building collapses in recent years have highlighted the vulnerability of the old housing stock, often built without compliance with earthquake resistance standards or poorly maintained.
