Residents of adjacent buildings in the ​densely populated neighbourhood were asked to evacuate ​as a precaution against potential further collapses, ⁠while a search for potential survivors ​was still underway.

By midday, six people had ​been rescued from the rubble of the building, which was built in the 1980s, Al Oula state ​television reported.

“The collapse created a wave ​of fear,” a neighbour told the channel.

Fez, a former ‌capital ⁠dating back to the eighth century and the country’s third-most-populous city, has seen similar incidents in recent months, including one in ​December when two buildings ​collapsed, ⁠killing at least 22 people.

In 2010, the collapse of a minaret ​in the historic northern city of ​Meknes ⁠killed 41 people.

Adib Ben Ibrahim, housing secretary of state, said last year that approximately ⁠38,800 buildings ​across the country had ​been classified as being at risk of collapse.