Morocco: At Least 22 People Killed as Two Buildings Collapse in Fez

In a devastating incident overnight, two adjacent four-storey residential buildings collapsed in the historic city of Fez (Fes), Morocco — killing at least 22 people and injuring 16 others, authorities reported early Wednesday, December 10. 

The buildings, located in the Al-Mustaqbal neighbourhood of Fez’s Al-Massira district, reportedly housed eight families. One of the buildings was hosting a traditional “aqiqa” ceremony — a Muslim celebration marking the birth of a child, at the time of collapse. The neighboring structure was unoccupied. 

Emergency services, including civil protection units and security forces, swiftly responded to the disaster. Rescuers and residents worked through the night to dig through rubble in search of survivors, while the injured were transported to the University Hospital Centre of Fez for treatment. 

According to local reports and witnesses, the buildings had reportedly shown visible cracks some time before the collapse, raising serious concerns over building safety and maintenance. 

In response, the public prosecutor’s office in Fez has launched an investigation to determine the cause of the tragedy, examine construction permits and architectural plans, and assess whether negligence or regulatory failures contributed to the disaster. 

This catastrophe comes amid wider scrutiny over ageing infrastructure across Morocco. Earlier this year, roughly 38,800 buildings nationwide were identified as potentially at risk of collapse, underscoring a mounting concern over structural safety — especially in older urban neighbourhoods. 

As grieving families and the community come to terms with the loss, calls are growing for stricter enforcement of building-safety regulations, rigorous inspections, and protective measures to prevent similar tragedies from occurring in the future.