A residential building collapse in the northern Moroccan city of Fez that killed seven people on Thursday was caused by illegal construction, Housing Secretary of State Adib Benbrahim said, as authorities faced renewed scrutiny over unsafe housing and unregulated urban expansion.
The five story building collapsed overnight in the Ain Naqbi district of Fez, injuring at least six others, according to local authorities.
Rescue operations continued for hours as emergency crews evacuated neighboring buildings showing structural cracks amid fears of further collapses.
Benbrahim told Hespress the building had been constructed without authorization, linking the tragedy to a broader pattern of unsafe and aging housing concentrated in cities such as Fez and Casablanca.
The collapse revived debate over enforcement failures surrounding Morocco’s law on dangerous buildings, years after authorities launched programs aimed at identifying and rehabilitating unsafe housing stock.
In December 2025, two residential buildings collapsed in Fez, killing 22 people and injuring 16 others in one of the country’s deadliest urban housing disasters in recent years. Prosecutors later said investigations found illegally added floors, non compliant construction materials and administrative irregularities tied to the buildings.
Benbrahim said agreements signed since 2010 sought to identify and treat unsafe buildings, while another program between 2016 and 2020 targeted around 500 structures. But he acknowledged that many vulnerable buildings remain outside official census operations.
He said recent meetings involving regional governors, municipal officials and urban agencies in Fez, Tangier, Casablanca and Marrakesh focused on accelerating inventories of unsafe or informal housing areas following a circular issued by the Interior Ministry.
The discussions are tied to the implementation of Law 94.12 on dangerous buildings and urban renewal, legislation that assigns local and regional committees responsibility for identifying at risk structures and proposing technical, financial and social solutions for residents
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