CAIRO & RABAT: A minaret in Morocco collapsed on Friday leaving at least 41 people dead. Eyewitnesses told a Bikya Masr reporter in Morocco that the incident has left fear among worshipers who had been participating in Friday prayers when the incident happened. “We just heard a cracking sound and I began to run away when the tower began to fall. It was so scary,” said Ibrahim, a 48-year-old worshiper from Meknes, a town some 90 miles southeast of the capital Rabat. “I don't know how it happened, but we have all lost someone we know and it is sad,” he added. The country's official news agency reported that the incident at the Bab al-Baradeen mosque in the town occurred during Friday prayers when hundreds had gathered at the mosque for the weekly prayer. Another 75 people were injured and at least 17 of those individuals have been hospitalized. According to police officials, who spoke to Bikya Masr from the site, crews are still working to clear the rubble. One official said they are hoping to be able to find any survivors on Saturday and have a full clean up finished by Sunday. According to CNN's news report, many Moroccans are blaming heavy rains for the incident. Moroccan national television broadcast footage of dozens of people inside the mosque carrying survivors to safe ground immediately after the incident. King Mohammed VI has ordered that the 400-year-old mosque be rebuilt as soon as possible and that its original architecture be preserved, it said. “This is a terrible incident and one that we will not forget and hopefully the government begins to take notice of its people and our safety,” Ibrahim said. BM
