22 Dead, 16 Injured in Fez Building Collapse

Two adjacent four-story residential buildings collapsed overnight Tuesday in the Moroccan city of Fez, killing at least 22 people and injuring 16 others, authorities reported Wednesday. The incident, which occurred in the Al-Moustakbal neighborhood, marked the second deadly building collapse in Fez this year and prompted immediate evacuations and rescue operations in the densely populated area.

Local officials confirmed that the structures housed eight families, though it remained unclear how many people were initially inside at the time of the collapse around 10 p.m. First responders, including civil protection units, rushed to the scene and continued searching through the rubble Wednesday for possible additional victims. The injured were transported to the University Hospital Center in Fez for treatment, with authorities noting varying degrees of severity among them. As a precaution, 22 nearby families were evacuated from surrounding buildings, and the area was secured to prevent further risks.

A technical inspection was underway, involving the Public Laboratory for Tests and Studies, to assess damage to adjacent structures and determine the cause of the collapse. Officials...