One killed in new Morocco mosque collapse

Governance - Democracy at Risk

Sunday, 28 February 2010 12:14

Written by {ga=codewit_correspondent}

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ALGIERS  - One person was killed and three wounded on Saturday when the dome of a mosque in Morocco partially caved in, official media said, a week after 41 people were killed when a minaret collapsed.

Morocco's Interior Ministry has opened an investigation into the collapse at the Al-Amal mosque in the town of Zayo, in north-eastern Morocco, the official MAP news agency reported.

Initial indications were that part of the dome of the mosque came down because of building work that was being carried out by unqualified contractors who did not have official authorisation, the agency said.

The 400-year-old minaret of a mosque in Meknes, about 140 km (90 miles) from the Moroccan capital, collapsed during prayers on February 19, killing 41 worshippers and injuring more than 80.

That incident angered local people, who said the authorities had neglected the minaret and ignored warnings that cracks were appearing in the building.

Morocco's Islamic Affairs Minister told Reuters in an interview last week the government would double spending this year on rebuilding decaying mosques. But the minister warned there could be more collapses before the work was complete.

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