In the Moroccan city of Fes, two four-storey buildings have collapsed, resulting in the deaths of at least 19 people, as reported by the country’s official news agency on Wednesday.
The MAP agency noted that “sixteen others sustained injuries, varying in severity,” and mentioned that rescue efforts are ongoing to “assist any individuals possibly trapped beneath the debris.”
The adjacent buildings, home to eight families, fell during the night in the Al-Moustakbal neighborhood within the Al-Massira area, according to MAP reports.
Local authorities cautioned that the number of casualties might increase in the coming hours.
MAP highlighted that safety officials have executed “essential preventative actions,” such as securing the vicinity and evacuating surrounding buildings.
The injured have been transported to Fes’s University Hospital Centre, as reported by the agency.
In February of the previous year, a house collapse in Fes’s old city resulted in five fatalities.
About a decade ago, in 2016, the city witnessed two fatal building collapses within a week.
One incident involved a house in Marrakech that led to the deaths of two children, while the other was a four-storey building collapse that killed four people and injured 24 others.
