At least 22 people have died and 16 others were injured after two four-storey residential buildings collapsed early Wednesday in the Moroccan city of Fez, according to state media citing local officials. The buildings, located in the Al Massira suburb in the newer part of the city, were home to eight families.
Local news outlets reported that both structures had shown signs of deterioration for years. Fez, one of Morocco’s oldest cities dating back to the 8th Century and the country’s third-largest, has seen several deadly collapses in recent months.
Rescue operations are still underway as emergency teams search through the rubble for survivors. Video from the scene shows residents and rescue workers digging through debris in the dark; one clip published by Akhbarona shows a body being carried away on a stretcher.
Authorities have evacuated neighboring buildings as a precaution. Those injured were taken to hospital with varying degrees of trauma.
Residents blamed poor construction practices and overcrowding for the tragedy. “People shouldn’t keep building and encroaching on the next building,” one resident, Abdelali, told Hespress, noting that one block appeared to have fallen onto the other. Another resident, Idris, said the collapse happened in under two minutes. “It was sudden… we were shocked. We couldn’t sleep. We ran from our homes,” he said.
The incident comes months after youth-led protests in Fez and other cities demanded better housing and infrastructure. Earlier this year, Housing Minister Adib Ben Ibrahim warned that around 13,700 buildings across Morocco were at imminent risk of collapse.
Fez has suffered several similar tragedies recently. Nine people were killed in May when a condemned building gave way, and five others died in February 2024 when a house in the old city collapsed following heavy rain and strong winds.
