Questions linger about the cause of an explosion in a tunnel at the Mokhtar Soussi Dam elevation project, which claimed the lives of five workers. Rescue teams have so far recovered two bodies, while efforts to retrieve the remaining three continue. A relative of one of the victims criticized the lack of safety measures and the decision to summon workers to the site on a Sunday.
Local authorities from the Ahl Tafnout commune stated that the exact cause of the explosion remains unknown. “Preliminary reports suggest the incident involved the explosion of one or more gas cylinders used by the workers for welding, though the precise reason for the blast is still unclear,” a communal official told Hespress.
The official noted that the depth of the tunnel—approximately 400 meters—combined with the intensity of the gas, has complicated rescue operations. Additional rescue teams from the Zgounder mine in the Askaoun region have been deployed to assist.
When asked about the possibility of an investigation, the official said, “In such incidents, it is necessary to fully understand the circumstances and root causes.”
Efforts to contact the Ministry of Equipment and Water for further clarification have so far been unsuccessful.
Idriss Atik, a cousin of one of the victims, revealed that the workers were called in by the Souss-Massa Water Basin Agency on Sunday to fix a malfunction in the irrigation tunnel connected to the dam. “The five workers, including two agency employees and three from a private company involved in the dam project, were summoned on short notice,” he said.
According to Atik, the workers were attempting to loosen a stuck metal piece within the tunnel using a gas cylinder for welding when the explosion occurred, leading to their deaths.
Rescue teams responded promptly but managed to recover only two bodies between Sunday afternoon and early Monday morning due to the high gas pressure in the tunnel. A team from Boulemane has been called in to continue the recovery efforts after the remaining three bodies were located.
Atik criticized the limited rescue resources, which he said contributed to delays, and called for an investigation into the explosion’s underlying cause. “The lack of safety conditions at the site, combined with the odd timing of the work on a Sunday, raises serious questions,” he added.
The Mokhtar Soussi Dam project, which aims to increase the dam’s capacity, has led to deeper tunnel excavations, disrupting irrigation water flow for local farmers. The workers were reportedly addressing this issue when the fatal incident occurred.
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