Scene from the aftermath of a building collapse in Fes, Morocco. The death toll from the collapse of a four-story residential building in the northern Moroccan city of Fes rose to nine on Thursday, according to the public prosecutor’s office, which announced the opening of a judicial investigation.
The prosecutor general at the Court of Appeal in Fes said in a statement that the collapse resulted in “nine deaths and several injuries of varying severity”.
He added that authorities have ordered a thorough investigation to determine the causes of the incident and establish possible responsibility.
Earlier, MAP (Maghreb Arabe Presse) reported four deaths and said rescue operations were still underway at midday, with emergency teams searching for people believed to be trapped under the rubble.
Authorities also evacuated residents from nearby buildings as a precaution against possible further collapses.
The incident comes after 22 people were killed late last year in a similar collapse of two adjacent buildings in the same city, one of the deadliest such events in recent years.