Collapse of two buildings in Morocco's Fes kills 22

FES, MOROCCO:

The collapse of two buildings killed 22 people in the northern Moroccan city of Fes, authorities said Wednesday, in the deadliest accident of its kind in the kingdom in recent years.

The Fes prosecutor's office said in a statement the collapse occurred after 11:00 pm (2200 GMT), with women and children among the dead and sixteen people injured.

Locals told AFP the buildings did not meet standards as authorities only allow two-storey buildings in that area, but the two buildings had four floors each.

"I heard a loud noise around midnight, then screams," 17-year-old Bilal El Bachir said. "It was shocking. Everyone went outside and I saw what looked like a cloud of dust, and that's when I realised both buildings had collapsed."

"I don't know why it happened... but I'm sure the upper floors were illegal," he added. "And these aren't the only buildings here with illegal floors. I'm afraid this kind of incident will happen again."

The prosecutor's office said in a statement there had been a family celebration in one of the buildings at the time of the collapse while the other was unoccupied.

An investigation had been opened to "determine the real causes" of the incident, the prosecutor's office added.

By Wednesday mid-afternoon, rescue teams had completed searches for survivors, Abdelaziz Makhmakh, regional civil protection commander, told AFP.

"Construction in the area is almost anarchic, completely out of control," said 20-year-old Bilal Ben Daoued. "This is supposed to be a modern neighbourhood where plots of land were offered to rehouse families who were living in slums."