Tragedy Strikes Fez: Building Collapse Highlights Infrastructure Crisis

In Fez, Morocco, two adjacent four-storey buildings collapsed overnight, killing 22 people and injuring 16. The cause remains unclear as an investigation is underway. The tragedy, the second such collapse this year in Fez, underscores the city's struggles with rapid urban growth and aging infrastructure.

In the early hours of Wednesday, tragedy struck the Moroccan city of Fez when two adjacent four-storey buildings collapsed, claiming 22 lives and injuring 16 others. The buildings, home to eight families, became the latest symbol of the city's infrastructure woes.

Authorities have evacuated the neighborhood as search and rescue operations continue. While the cause of the collapse remains unclear, an investigation has been launched, authorities confirmed. The structures, built in 2006 during the 'City Without Slums' initiative, raise questions about construction standards in rapidly growing Moroccan cities.

This incident follows a similar collapse in May, raising fresh concerns about building safety codes and infrastructure investment in Fez, one of Morocco's poorest urban centres. The issue has been part of larger national debates, notably in recent protests against government spending priorities.

(With inputs from agencies.)