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Morocco minaret fall kills many | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
Unconfirmed reports from Morocco say 32 people were killed when a minaret collapsed at a mosque in the central Moroccan town of Meknes. | |
More than 60 people were injured in the accident at the Berdieyinne mosque in Meknes' old city during Friday prayers, according to Moroccan state television. | |
The TV report said that the collapse came after heavy rains which lashed the region for several days. | |
The minaret is said to have been four centuries old. | |
A doctor at the scene told Reuters news agency he had counted 13 bodies as they were being pulled out by rescuers. | |
Many people are said to be buried under the rubble of the collapsed tower. | |
A local resident, Khaled Rahmouni, told Reuters that about 300 worshippers had gathered inside the mosque for Friday afternoon prayers. | A local resident, Khaled Rahmouni, told Reuters that about 300 worshippers had gathered inside the mosque for Friday afternoon prayers. |
"When the imam was about to start his sermon, the minaret fell down," he said. | |
Moroccan television added that the interior and religious affairs ministers had visited the site to supervise rescue operations. | |
The officials visited the injured, who had been taken to hospitals in Meknes and the nearby city of Fez. | |
Observers say that while neglected buildings in the old quarters of Morocco's cities collapse fairly often, the fall of a minaret is rare. | Observers say that while neglected buildings in the old quarters of Morocco's cities collapse fairly often, the fall of a minaret is rare. |