19 dead, 16 injured as twin residential buildings collapse in Morocco’s Fez

At least 19 people have died and 16 others injured after two buildings collapsed in Morocco on Wednesday.  

Two adjoining four-storey residential buildings collapsed in Fez, one of Morocco’s oldest and most densely populated cities, state media reported.

Local officials, security personnel and civil protection teams rushed to the scene soon after midnight, launching search and rescue efforts amid the chaos as reported by news agency Reuters.  

Reuters reported that it could not independently verify the extent of damage or the cause of the collapse.

Tragedy comes as a tense moment for the citizens trapped in the deadliest situation. Just two months ago, the city was swept up in nationwide protests over worsening living conditions, unemployment and failing public services.  

The protests were led by young people which later spread to rural areas leading to large scale demonstrations and country wide chaos. Three people were shot dead while attempting to storm a security headquarters, and more than 400 arrests were reported before calm returned.

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 and relief efforts are underway and workers are clearing the debris as families  awaited news of those still missing.