Deadly Fez building collapse raises fresh concerns over Morocco’s ageing urban structures

At least four people were killed and six others injured after a four-storey residential building collapsed overnight in the Moroccan city of Fez, again drawing attention to structural risks in ageing and vulnerable urban housing.

The collapse occurred in Fez, about 200 km east of Rabat and one of Morocco’s oldest cities. Rescue teams, local authorities and residents searched through the debris for survivors, while residents of neighbouring buildings were asked to evacuate as a precaution against possible further collapses. State-owned broadcaster 2M initially reported a higher death toll before issuing an official correction.

Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the collapse. Media footage showed rescuers and residents digging through the rubble, but officials have not yet confirmed the precise structural mechanism or the condition of the building before it failed. The incident has renewed public concern about building maintenance, structural deterioration and the long-term safety of older residential blocks in dense urban areas.

Fez has experienced multiple similar incidents in recent years. In December 2025, two separate building collapses in the city killed at least 22 people, while another residential collapse in 2024 resulted in nine fatalities. Morocco has also witnessed historic structural disasters, including the 2010 collapse of a mosque minaret in Meknes that killed 41 people.

According to Moroccan housing authorities, approximately 38,800 buildings nationwide have been identified as being at risk of collapse. Many of these structures are located in older urban centres where ageing materials, inadequate maintenance, moisture infiltration, overloading and informal expansions can compromise structural integrity.

Collapses of this nature often involve cumulative degradation rather than a single triggering mechanism. Long-term material deterioration, corrosion of reinforcement, poor-quality construction practices, differential settlement and increasing occupancy loads can progressively weaken structural systems until failure occurs. Dense urban conditions can also complicate inspection, rehabilitation and emergency response operations.

The Fez collapse highlights the need for systematic structural assessment programmes, enforcement of maintenance regulations and prioritised rehabilitation strategies for vulnerable residential buildings. As urban populations continue to grow, ageing infrastructure and deferred maintenance remain major risk factors in many cities worldwide.