HIBAPRESS – Fez
The old city of Fez witnessed, today, Monday, February 2nd, a partial collapse of a wall of one of the houses, without recording any human losses, in an incident that mobilized the various concerned authorities and brought back to the forefront the file of buildings threatened with collapse.
According to preliminary data, the incident caused limited material damage, while no injuries were recorded among the residents or passers-by, which prevented a human disaster, given the population density known in the alleys of the old city. Upon being notified of the incident, the local authorities and the civil protection services moved to the scene, where the collapse area was cordoned off and the necessary urgent measures were taken to ensure the safety of citizens, while beginning to assess the condition of the damaged building and adjacent buildings. It is likely that the recent rainfall that Fez has witnessed has contributed to this collapse, especially in light of the fragility of a number of old buildings that suffer from the erosion of the infrastructure and the absence of periodic maintenance, pending what the technical expertise will reveal to determine the exact causes and potential responsibilities. This incident raises urgent questions about the fate of the residents of the buildings at risk of collapse in the old city, and the pace of implementing restoration and rehabilitation programs, in a city classified as a world heritage site and includes thousands of families who live under the threat of sudden collapses, especially during periods of rainfall. Local and associative actors are demanding to accelerate the pace of interventions, and to adopt sustainable solutions that preserve the dignity of the residents and guarantee their right to safe housing, to avoid the recurrence of such incidents, which may turn at any moment into human tragedies.
