The death toll from a devastating residential building collapse in Fes rose sharply to 15 victims by Friday afternoon.
Emergency teams recovered 13 bodies from the concrete wreckage, while two additional residents succumbed to injuries at a hospital.
The structural failure completely crushed a multi-story apartment complex located within the densely populated Ain Nokbi neighborhood on Thursday.
Frightened rescue workers and local volunteers dug frantically through pulverized mortar to reach those trapped beneath the heavy debris.
Officials confirmed the tragedy was caused by unauthorized, illegal construction practices executed without proper municipal oversight or building permits.
The catastrophic failure forced authorities to immediately evacuate four adjacent residential structures showing precarious and deep structural cracks.
This sudden collapse has reignited a fierce national debate regarding unregulated urban expansion and unsafe, aging housing in Morocco.
A dark shadow of grief hung over the historic city, which has been repeatedly struck by similar urban disasters.
Just last December, the ancient city mourned the loss of 22 citizens when two other residential properties crumbled.
Judicial police have launched a comprehensive investigation to assign criminal accountability for this latest preventable loss of human life.