A tragic overnight building collapse in the Moroccan city of Fez has left at least 11 people dead, while emergency teams continue searching for survivors beneath the rubble.

At least 11 people have been confirmed dead and six others injured after a four-storey residential building collapsed overnight in Fez, one of Morocco’s oldest and most populated cities.

According to reports monitored by cbinews.tv, the incident happened in the historic city located about 200 kilometres east of the Moroccan capital, Rabat.

State-owned broadcaster 2M reported that rescue operations were still ongoing on Thursday, with emergency workers and local residents seen digging through piles of rubble in search of anyone who may still be trapped beneath the collapsed structure.

Authorities have since launched an investigation into the cause of the collapse.

As a safety measure, residents living in neighbouring buildings have also been asked to evacuate the area over fears of possible further structural failures.

Fez, which dates back to the eighth century and once served as Morocco’s capital, has witnessed several similar incidents in recent months.

In December last year, two separate building collapses in the city reportedly claimed at least 22 lives.

Morocco has also experienced deadly structural disasters in other regions over the years. In 2010, the collapse of a mosque minaret in the northern city of Meknes killed 41 people.

Housing Secretary of State Adib Ben Ibrahim revealed last year that nearly 38,800 buildings across Morocco had been identified as being at risk of collapse, raising concerns about ageing infrastructure and public safety.

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