Two buildings collapsed during the night of December 9-10, 2025, in Bensouda, killing 22 people and injuring 16. In this relocation neighborhood built nearly twenty years ago, the tragedy came as little surprise to those living nearby. For months, they had been living with gaping cracks and menacing noises. Some had even continued to live in these weakened buildings despite several evacuation notices clearly warning them of the danger.

I went to the relevant authorities myself to report the cracks in my apartment. I was ordered to evacuate last May, says a neighbor, her eyes fixed on her building, still standing just a few meters from the ruins.

A few meters away, another resident looks anxiously at the rubble. We don't yet know whether to stay or evacuate, he says. It turns out that evacuation orders have already been issued.

This tragedy raises questions about the poor quality of the buildings, which is partly the responsibility of the residents. But it also raises the issue of the control measures that should be in place before any occupancy permit is issued.

A little further on, a local resident points to the cracked facades of the neighborhood."These haphazard constructions are common in many working-class neighborhoods. We need stricter controls to prevent further tragedies," he warns.

Local authorities in the Fes prefecture confirmed on Wednesday that the final death toll, following the completion of search and clearing operations, stands at 22, with 16 injured of varying severity. The two collapsed buildings had been constructed in 2006 as part of a self-sufficient housing project for the residents of the Ain Smen village, within the framework of the"Fez, City Without Slums" program.

According to the King's prosecutor at the court of first instance in Fez, the first building was unoccupied, while the second was hosting a baptism ceremony.

A technical assessment launched

Alongside the judicial inquiry opened under the supervision of the public prosecutor's office, administrative investigations and a technical assessment have been entrusted to a specialized consulting firm. These aim to establish the exact technical causes of the collapse, to identify any potential malfunctions in legal procedures and building standards, and to clarify the extent of administrative and technical responsibilities related to this tragedy.