Amina Bouayach, president of Morocco’s National Human Rights Council, called for a judicial investigation into the deadly Fes building collapse. Morocco’s National Human Rights Council (CNDH) has called for a judicial investigation into the collapse of a residential building in the city of Fes, urging authorities to publish the findings and ensure accountability.
In a statement issued Friday, the council said a team from its regional commission in the Fes-Meknes region had been monitoring the aftermath of the incident and investigating its circumstances.
The council said the collapse, which occurred on Thursday, May 21, has so far left 15 people dead and five others injured. The injured victims were transferred to hospitals for treatment.
The CNDH described the repeated collapse of residential buildings as a “direct violation” of the right to adequate housing, as recognized under international standards. It called for a comprehensive national strategy based on prevention, regular inspections, and stronger monitoring mechanisms to avoid similar tragedies.
The council also urged authorities to strictly enforce construction standards and urban planning laws, particularly rules governing building permits, technical inspections, and engineering quality.
It further called for greater transparency from public authorities and stronger coordination between government departments, territorial administrations, and elected councils, placing citizen safety and the right to adequate housing at the center of public policy.
The council additionally recommended the creation of a permanent rapid-response mechanism to intervene when structural cracks or construction defects are detected before accidents occur.
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.