The number of people killed in the collapse of a mosque minaret in Morocco has risen to at least 41. Nearly 80 others were injured in the accident during Friday prayers in the town of Meknes. Frantic efforts to clear the debris and find surviviors followed.
Some 300 worshippers were said to be inside the 18th century mosque when the disaster happened. The minaret fell just as the imam was about to start his sermon, according to one local man. Historic Meknes is on UNESCO’s world heritage list.
While it is not infrequent for neglected buildings in the old quarters of Morocco’s cities to collapse, the fall of a minaret is unusual. As victims were treated, authorities blamed the tragedy on torrential rain and strong winds that have lashed the region in recent days. Morocco’s Interior Minister and Minister of Religious Affairs visited the injured in hospital.
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