11 dead in Fez after building collapse, says Moroccan media

Eleven people were killed when a five-story residential building collapsed overnight in the northern Moroccan city of Fez, state-owned broadcaster Channel 2 said Thursday.

The Moroccan news website, Al-Amq, said six injuries were also reported when the building collapsed in the Jnan Jroudi neighborhood of the Ain Naqbi district.

It added that rescue operations continued following the sudden collapse, which triggered panic for residents of neighboring buildings.

Al-Amq indicated that the injured were transported to hospitals, and it described their conditions as stable.

Authorities have opened an investigation to determine the cause, it said.

No official information on the cause of the collapse was immediately available, and no comment has been issued by officials.

The Moroccan Ministry of Urban Planning and Housing announced in February 2022 the need to develop a proactive, participatory and evolving intervention strategy by 2030 to address problems associated with buildings at risk of collapsing.

*Writing by Rasa Evrensel in Istanbul