Two women were killed and six other people injured on Tuesday night in an explosion of a small butane gas cylinder in a house in Haoumat Al Haddad, in the Beni Makada district in the northern city of Tangier, according to local authorities.
The explosion started a fire in the four-storey residence, which is home to a single family.
As soon as they were alerted of the catastrophe, local officials, security, and civil protection agencies hurried to the scene of the explosion, evacuated the injured to Tangier’s Mohammed V Hospital, and extinguished the fire.
The explosion caused cracks in the damaged building, which were later inspected by a joint commission to determine the preventive measures required. The building has been evacuated as a precaution and its perimeter has been cordoned off.
An investigation has been opened under the supervision of the public prosecutor’s office, to determine the causes and circumstances of the accident.