19 killed in building collapse in Morocco’s second-largest city
FES, Morocco (AP) — Two four-story buildings collapsed overnight in the Moroccan city of Fez, killing 19 people in the second fatal collapse this year, authorities said Wednesday.
Morocco’s national news agency reported that the two residential buildings housed eight families. Sixteen people were injured in the collapse and sent for treatment to a nearby hospital. Authorities said the area had been evacuated and search and rescue efforts were underway.
It’s unclear what caused the collapse or how many people were missing Wednesday morning.
Fez is Morocco’s second largest city and one of the hosts of this month’s Africa Cup of Nations and the 2030 FIFA World Cup. It is best known for its walled city full of medieval souks and tanneries. But beyond tourism, it is also one of the poorest urban centers in the country, where aging infrastructure is common in many neighborhoods.
Another collapse in May killed 10 people and injured seven others in a building that already had to be evacuated, according to Moroccan media Le360.
Building codes are often not enforced in Morocco, particularly in older cities where aging multi-family homes are common. Gaps in basic services were at the center of protests that swept the country earlier this year, with demonstrators criticizing the government for investing in new stadiums instead of tackling inequalities in health care, education and other public services.
