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This image by Agence Maghreb Arab Presse (PH MAP) shows people removing rubble after the minaret of a mosque collapsed during weekly Friday prayers in Morocco's central town of Meknes.
RABAT: At least 36 people died and 71 were injured after the minaret of a historic 18th century mosque collapsed in the central Moroccan city of Meknes during Friday prayers, the interior ministry said.
Local officials said the toll could mount. “The minaret and part of the roof fell on the congregation which had gathered for the weekly prayer,” a resident told media.
Residents told media that heavy rains had lashed the region in the past days. The mosque was packed with worshippers at the time of the collapse.
“Apart from the Friday prayers, the faithful were also offering funeral prayers for a deceased person whose body was inside the mosque,” a local functionary told media.
The ministry announced earlier that the minaret toppled at 1245 GMT. It gave an initial toll of at least 11 dead.
Rescuers initially had trouble sifting through debris as the mosque was located in the crammed and bustling Old City and surrounded by high walls delineating the quarter.
The screen grab shows that rescuers are searching for survivors at the site of the collapsed mosque.
