The collapse of two buildings in Fez, one of Morocco’s oldest and most populous cities, killed 22 people and injured 16 others in the early hours of Wednesday (10), according to state media. The buildings, both adjacent to each other, were located in the Al-Mustaqbal neighborhood and housed eight families.
According to Fez town hall, security, rescue and civil protection teams were sent to the site as soon as the collapse was reported, thus starting search and rescue operations.
Public broadcaster SNRT reported that the buildings had been showing “signs of cracks for some time”, without preventive measures having been adopted. The extent of the damage could not yet be independently verified and the Interior Ministry had no immediate comment.
The accident occurred during a period of social tension in Fez, the country’s former capital and the third largest Moroccan city. Two months ago, the municipality was one of the epicenters of protests against the government, motivated by the precariousness of public services.
The October protests were led by young people and also highlighted discontent with poverty and what activists called state abandonment, as the government develops modernization plans for the 2030 World Cup. The protests, inspired by uprisings in Nepal, Madagascar and Peru, turned into riots. Three people were shot and killed while trying to break into a police station, and more than 400 were arrested before the violence subsided.
The tragedy therefore revives the debate on inequalities in Morocco. While the northwest of the country concentrates most of the population, financial activities and strategic infrastructure, other regions depend on sectors considered more vulnerable, including agriculture, fishing and tourism.
It also highlights the housing insecurity in the country. In January, Housing Secretary Adib Ben Ibrahim said around 38,800 buildings across the country were classified as at risk of collapse.
This episode is one of the most serious since 2010, when the collapse of a minaret in the historic city of Meknes left 41 dead. The government has not yet indicated whether there is a link between the collapse of the buildings and allegations of structural neglect, highlighted by residents and the state press.
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