A devastating building collapse in Fez has claimed at least 22 lives and injured 16 others, exposing deep-rooted problems in Morocco’s urban housing infrastructure. The incident occurred when two adjacent residential buildings crumbled overnight in one of the country’s oldest and most densely populated cities. According to the Fez prosecutor, one of the four-storey structures was empty, while the other was hosting an Aqiqah ceremony—a traditional celebration marking the birth of a child—when it suddenly collapsed, trapping families inside.
Authorities cautioned that the death toll may rise as rescue teams continue pulling survivors and bodies from the debris. Both a judicial inquiry and a technical investigation have been launched to determine the cause of the structural failure. The building where the ceremony took place housed eight families, and the tragedy has yielded heartbreaking stories of loss. One survivor told Medi1 TV that he had lost his wife and three children, saying he had received only one body so far and was still waiting for the recovery of the others. State broadcaster SNRT News showed chaotic scenes of rescue workers and residents digging through rubble with bare hands and makeshift tools.
Witnesses reported that the buildings—located in the overcrowded Al-Mustaqbal neighbourhood in western Fez—had shown visible cracks long before the collapse. Constructed in 2006 under a government programme that permitted former shantytown residents to build their own homes on allocated plots, the structures were already deteriorating. Officials noted that this is one of the deadliest building collapses in Morocco in 15 years, second only to the 2010 Meknes minaret disaster that killed 41 people.
The collapse comes at a sensitive time for Fez, a historic city dating back to the eighth century, which has been a focal point of public frustration. Just two months ago, residents protested worsening living conditions and inadequate public services. Earlier this year, Housing Secretary of State Adib Ben Ibrahim disclosed that nearly 38,800 buildings across Morocco were categorised as being at risk of collapse, underscoring a widespread structural crisis. The tragedy also poses challenges for Morocco’s preparations for major sporting events—Fez is slated to host matches for the 2030 FIFA World Cup and the upcoming African Cup of Nations—even as many of its neighbourhoods remain among the poorest and most vulnerable in the country.
