Four Dead, Six Injured After Residential Building Collapse in Fez, Morocco

On the night of May 21 2026, a four-storey residential building in the Ain Naqbi neighbourhood of Fez (specifically the Jerradi Ain Naqbi area of the Jnane El Ward district) collapsed. Local authorities reported four fatalities and six injuries of varying severity. The injured were taken to Hassan II University Hospital in Fez. Security services, civil-protection teams and local officials were dispatched to secure the site, continue search-and-rescue operations, and evacuate residents of adjacent structures as a precaution.

Fes building collapse kills four as rescue operations continue

Fez has experienced multiple building failures in recent years. In December 2025, two residential buildings collapsed, killing 22 people and injuring 16. A separate incident in May 2025 claimed nine lives when a residential building fell. Earlier, the 2010 collapse of a minaret in Meknes resulted in 41 deaths. State media 2M noted that such incidents have become “more frequent in recent months.” Housing secretary of state Adib Ben Ibrahim previously warned that approximately 38,800 buildings nationwide are classified as at risk of collapse.

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Moroccan authorities launched a judicial investigation overseen by the public prosecutor’s office. Officials ordered the evacuation of neighbouring homes and deployed civil-protection units to the scene. State broadcaster 2M initially reported 11 deaths but later issued a correction to reflect the confirmed toll of four. The investigation aims to determine the structural and administrative causes of the collapse.

Fes building collapse kills four as rescue operations continue

The latest disaster has intensified scrutiny of illegal construction and permit-granting processes in Morocco’s ageing urban districts. Prior inquiries into the December 2025 collapse identified unauthorized additional floors, use of second-hand construction materials, and irregular administrative certificates. Twenty-one individuals—including officials and contractors—were placed under investigation for alleged bribery, illegal building practices, and involuntary manslaughter. Critics argue that weak enforcement of building codes endangers densely populated working-class neighbourhoods.

Fes building collapse kills four as rescue operations continue

• Fatalities: 4 (confirmed)

Morocco building collapse kills four

• Injured: 6 (treated at Hassan II University Hospital)

Fes building collapse kills four as rescue operations continue

• At-risk buildings nationwide: ? 38,800 (per Adib Ben Ibrahim)

Reuters

• Recent Fez incidents: December 2025 (22 dead, 16 injured), May 2025 (9 dead)

Reuters

• Prior legal actions: 21 people investigated after December 2025 collapse

Fes building collapse kills four as rescue operations continue

Initial reports from 2M cited 11 deaths, later corrected to 4. Sources differ on the building’s height, with some describing it as a four-storey structure and others as five-storey. The precise cause of the collapse remains undetermined pending the official inquiry.

Reuters

The recurrence of structural failures underscores systemic vulnerabilities in Morocco’s housing sector, particularly in informal or overcrowded districts. The events may prompt tighter enforcement of construction permits, accelerated remediation of at-risk buildings, and reforms aimed at reducing corruption in the approval process.

Fes building collapse kills four as rescue operations continue

The judicial investigation will continue to assess technical failures and administrative lapses. Findings are expected to inform potential regulatory changes and may lead to prosecutions of individuals implicated in illegal construction practices. Authorities have pledged ongoing monitoring of other vulnerable structures in Fez and across the country.

Fes building collapse kills four as rescue operations continue