Weakened by 2023 earthquake, house collapses in Marrakech's Mellah

Marrakech's Mellah district witnessed another troubling incident on Friday, July 19th, when a house weakened by the September 2023 earthquake collapsed. Thankfully, there were no casualties.

The house owner, Mohammed Bessoul, spoke to Le360: «We were just recovering from the tremors when we heard our home had collapsed. Luckily, no one was inside». Bessoul, who tragically lost his son in the previous earthquake, had already vacated the house due to the bad memories and fear of further damage.

A narrowly avoided tragedy: collapse of a house in the Mellah of Marrakech, a district affected by the Al Haouz earthquakepic.twitter.com/bdqkLwYNkx

— Le360 (@Le360fr) July 20, 2024

The situation in the Mellah remains precarious. Omar Batri, a resident, expressed his concerns to Le360: «This is a wake-up call we can't afford to miss. The houses here are barely standing. Repairs are insufficient, and temporary fixes with planks just aren't enough anymore». He pointed to a neighboring house in obvious danger, highlighting the urgent need for intervention.

Living in fear and uncertainty, residents are pleading with the authorities for a swift and effective response to secure their homes and ensure their safety.