Foreign media including AFP and AP reported on the 10th (local time) that two four-story residential buildings collapsed in Fez, Morocco, a major city of medieval Islam, causing casualties.
At least 19 people were killed and 16 were injured in the incident. Local authorities are conducting a search on the belief that missing people may be buried in the rubble.
A total of eight families were believed to have been living in the collapsed buildings.
A local official said, "The death toll could rise in the coming hours."
Fez is the third most populous city in Morocco and is one of the venues hosting the Africa Cup of Nations this month and FIFA World Cup matches in 2030.
As a center of Islamic culture in the Middle Ages, it has a developed tourism industry but is also cited as a poor city with aging infrastructure.
In Morocco, building collapses occur frequently because construction regulations are not strictly observed. In May, a building collapse killed 10 people, and in Feb. last year, five people died when dwellings collapsed.
Inside Morocco, there is also strong criticism that the government is neglecting basic public services while allocating more budget solely to building soccer stadiums.