At least 19 people were killed, and 16 others injured on Wednesday when two adjoining four-storey residential buildings collapsed in Fez, one of Morocco’s oldest and most densely populated cities, state media reported as per Reuters.
Authorities said the buildings, located in the Al-Mustaqbal neighbourhood and home to eight families, had long shown signs of neglect.
According to the Fez prefecture, local officials, security personnel and civil protection teams rushed to the scene soon after midnight, launching search and rescue operations amid the rubble. The state broadcaster SNRT noted that preliminary assessments indicated the structures had been exhibiting visible cracking and structural deterioration “for some time,” with no effective preventive action taken.
There was no immediate comment from the Interior Ministry, and Reuters said it could not independently verify the extent of damage or the cause of the collapse.
The tragedy comes at a tense moment for Fez, a former imperial capital dating back to the eighth century. Just two months ago, the city was swept up in nationwide protests over worsening living conditions, unemployment and failing public services. The unrest, led largely by young people, later spread to rural towns, where demonstrations morphed into violent clashes. Three people were shot dead while attempting to storm a security headquarters, and more than 400 arrests were reported before calm returned.
Morocco’s economic activity and critical infrastructure remain heavily concentrated in the northwest, leaving many regions, including parts of Fez, facing chronic issues of inadequate housing, limited services and uneven development. The government has simultaneously been pushing forward with major infrastructure upgrades and preparing new stadiums ahead of the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which it will co-host.
Investigations into Wednesday’s building collapse are expected to focus on structural neglect and whether authorities had prior warnings about the safety of the affected blocks. Rescue teams continued clearing debris through the day as families awaited news of those still missing.
Source: India Today