A section of the ramparts of the old town of Kairouan collapsed on 16 December, killing three people and injuring three others. The site is on UNESCO's list of world cultural heritage sites. Its collapse raises questions about the conservation of historic sites in Tunisia.
The Ministry of Cultural Affairs has announced that an investigation is underway, but the Minister, Hayet Guettat Guermazi, is already talking of an "error", and is referring to climatic factors, namely "rainfall and humidity".