A flood killed at least 24 people in an illegal textile factory in a villa basement in the Moroccan city of Tangier, authorities said on Monday, adding that 10 people had been rescued.

It was not immediately clear how many people had been in the building at the time, but authorities said rescue operations were continuing and an investigation into the circumstances of the incident had been launched.

Morocco's informal labour sector represents about a fifth of non-agricultural economic activity and labourers are often prey to unsafe working conditions.