While speculations about preliminary investigation results suggested that the cause of the collapse of the 3 buildings in Casablanca may be related to restoration works that were taking place in one of the buildings, the Moroccan Center for Human Rights (CMDH) called the spade a spade saying that bribery and corruption are the main reasons behind the catastrophe.
The executive office of the CMDH said in a communiqué that “bribery, corruption, rampant neglect in the Moroccan administration, greed and the desire to receive quick profit by some housing lobbies without taking into consideration prospective catastrophes” is the reason behind Casablanca’s buildings collapse.
According to the same communiqué, “the buildings collapsed because they were initially build in the 60’s to accommodate only 2 flours. However, throughout the years, some citizens built additional floors, without a legal certificate, on top of the allowed floors.”
The same source added that starting from 1998 onward, the house owner built an additional third and fourth stories before settling for a 5th.
In fact, “the move was conducted without a legal license and neither with a follow-up nor with legal expertise by the relevant authorities to ensure the ability of the building foundations to carry such extra layers,” the CNDH said.
The Moroccan Times.
