Meknes, MOROCCO (Agencies)
The death toll from the collapse of a historic minaret in the central Moroccan city of Meknes rose to 41, an official said Saturday updating the casualty toll.
At least 76 others were reported wounded as rescuers were searching the rubble for other possible victims after the minaret of the Bab Berdieyinne mosque in Meknes' old quarter came crashing down on worshippers gathered for Friday prayers, the official said.
Residents of the Tizimi nighborhood in Meknes' old quarter attend the funeral on Feb.20The 18-century mosque was packed at the time of the accident and officials have warned the toll could continue to mount.
Many locals blamed the disaster on heavy rains that have lashed the North African country in recent days.
Television pictures showed hundreds of residents scrambling to clear the debris in a desperate search for survivors.
Rescuers initially struggled to sift through debris because the mosque was located in the crammed and bustling Old City and surrounded by high walls ringing the historic neighborhood.
Once there they worked with shovels -- and some with bare hands -- while others formed human chains to carry away rubble from the disaster site.
Slow rescue efforts
" We believe in God and what the fate bring for us but this time lives could had been spared if the authorities did not show they do not care about what people say "
A Meknes residentLocal civil defense commander Alaoui Ismaili said the rescue operation was slow because of the narrow streets in the old city medina district.
"We are using only manpower, not equipment as we cannot bring heavy equipment through these streets," he said.
"We are moving with great caution also because the walls of houses and shops adjacent to the mosque are fragile especially after the heavy rains of the past days."
Some said people had told the authorities before the tragedy about cracks in the mosque walls. "People are seething with anger because of that," said one man, who gave his name only as Mohamed.
"We told them many times before that there were widening cracks on the walls and that its minaret had begun tipping over but they ignored the warning," he said, speaking by telephone from the scene.
Firefighters carry a dead bodyMohamed and other residents said they believed the accident could have been averted if the warning had been heeded.
"We believe in God and what the fate bring for us but this time lives could had been spared if the authorities did not show they do not care about what people say," said resident Zouhaier, who did not want to give his full name.
Morocco has suffered weeks of heavy rains, causing flooding that had already claimed several lives, cut off roads and destroyed crops in both the north and south of the country.
The disaster at the Bab Berdieyinne mosque was the worst of its kind in the North African kingdom, whose cities and towns have ancient quarters with buildings dating back several centuries.
Much of the mosque was made from adobe, a sun-dried brick of earth and straw. Its towering minaret was one of the town's landmarks.
The mosque was built at the initiative of the country's first woman minister, Khnata Bent Bakkar.
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