Minaret collapses during Friday prayers in Morocco, leaves 11 dead and 50 injured
By APFriday, February 19, 2010
Minaret falls during prayers in Morocco, 11 dead
RABAT, Morocco — A minaret collapsed during Friday prayers at a crowded mosque in the old town of the historic Moroccan city of Meknes, killing 11 people and injuring 50 others, the Interior Ministry said.
Officials blamed the accident on heavy rain that had weakened the minaret at the Bab Berdieyinne Mosque, according to an official communique released by the Interior Ministry.
King Mohammed VI sent the interior minister and religious affairs minister to Meknes, one of Morocco’s four imperial cities, some 120 kilometers (62 miles) east of the capital Rabat.
The officials visited the injured, who had been taken to hospitals in Meknes, a UNESCO heritage city, and the nearby city of Fes. A team of psychologists also was sent.
The king has ordered the reconstruction of the mosque.
