According to local media, the houses collapsed in the evening on Tuesday, and eight families were living in them.
Rescue operations are ongoing, and the search for people who may be trapped under the rubble continues. Residents of neighboring buildings have been evacuated for safety.
According to reports from local residents, cracks had been visible in the walls of the buildings for several years, raising concerns.
The Moroccan Minister of Housing, Adib Ben-Ibrahim, previously stated that there is a threat of collapse for about 39,000 buildings across the country, highlighting a serious issue in the construction infrastructure.
A local resident named Abdel-Ali expressed dissatisfaction with the quality of construction, noting that one of the collapsed houses was actually leaning over another. He also added that the collapse occurred in less than two minutes.
According to the Fez prosecutor's office, one of the buildings was empty; however, a festive gathering was taking place in honor of a child's birth in the second building. An investigation has been launched in connection with the disaster.
Such tragedies are not isolated incidents: in 2010, a minaret collapsed in Meknes, claiming the lives of 41 people. In the past two years, this is already the third collapse with casualties in Fez. For example, in May, another building's collapse resulted in nine deaths, and in February 2024, five people died.
Fez is one of the oldest cities in Morocco and the third most populous. It is included in the UNESCO World Heritage list.
In recent months, mass protests have taken place in Fez, as well as in other cities across the country, where young people have demanded increased investment in housing construction and infrastructure development.
