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Fez Double Building Collapse Kills 22 as Prosecutor Opens Inquiry

Witness accounts of prior cracking raise questions about enforcement of building rules.

Overview

  • The prosecutor in Fes updated the toll to 22 dead and 16 injured after two adjacent four‑storey residential buildings fell overnight in the Al‑Mustaqbal neighborhood.
  • Authorities said one block was hosting an Aqiqah family celebration at the time while the neighboring building was unoccupied.
  • Eight families were listed as residents, the injured were taken to the University Hospital Centre, and nearby structures were evacuated as a precaution.
  • A formal investigation has been opened, and by mid‑afternoon primary search operations had been completed, according to the regional civil protection commander.
  • State media and local witnesses reported long‑visible cracks and possible illegal upper floors, with MAP also noting the buildings dated to 2006 under a resettlement program and officials previously classifying tens of thousands of structures nationwide as at risk.