Two four-story buildings collapsed overnight in the Moroccan city of Fez, killing at least 19 people in the second fatal collapse there this year, authorities said on Wednesday.

Morocco's state news agency reported the two residential buildings housed eight families.

Sixteen people were injured in the collapse and sent for treatment at a nearby hospital.

Authorities said the neighborhood had been evacuated and search and rescue efforts were ongoing.

A neighbor named Touria, who did not want to give her last name, said she arrived on the scene around 11 p.m. or midnight after hearing a commotion.

"When we arrived, we saw collapsed houses, one next to the other. We saw young people from the neighborhood trying to help,” she said.

She called for the inspection of other buildings to prevent this from happening again.

It was unclear what caused the collapse or how many people were unaccounted for on Wednesday morning.

Fez is Morocco’s third-largest city and one of the hosts of this month’s Africa Cup of Nations and the 2030 FIFA World Cup.

It is best known for its walled city packed with medieval souks and tanneries. But beyond tourism, it’s also one of the country’s poorest urban centers, where aging infrastructure is common in many neighborhoods.