Nine Dead After Residential Building Collapses in Northern Morocco

Mintesinot Nigussie

At least nine people have been killed and several others injured after a four-storey residential building collapsed overnight in the historic Moroccan city of Fez. The incident occurred in a densely populated older neighbourhood, triggering immediate search and rescue operations.

Emergency teams continued working through Thursday, successfully pulling six people alive from the rubble by midday. Authorities evacuated nearby buildings as a precaution due to concerns over further structural instability in the area.

The collapsed building was constructed in the 1980s and located in one of Fez’s older urban districts. Such areas have long raised safety concerns due to ageing housing stock and limited maintenance.

Fez, Morocco’s third-most-populous city and a former capital with roots dating back to the eighth century, has seen a series of similar building collapses in recent months. In December alone, two buildings collapsed in the city, killing at least 22 people.

Nationwide, housing authorities estimate that approximately 38,800 buildings across Morocco are structurally at risk. This reflects widespread vulnerabilities linked to ageing infrastructure and rapid urbanisation.

The tragedy has renewed calls for stricter enforcement of building regulations and accelerated urban renewal programmes, especially in historic cities like Fez and Meknes, where similar incidents have occurred in the past.