Tunis/Tunisia — «A Judicial administrative investigation was launched into the collapse of a section of the historic wall around the Medina of Kairouan,» Cultural Affairs Minister Hayet Guettat Guermazi told TAP during her visit to the scene of the tragedy which happened on Saturday, December 16.

In an emergency meeting held by the Local Committee of the Fight Against Disasters at the headquarters of the governorate of Kairouan, the minister said that the project to restore and maintain wall was undertaken by a contracting company as part of a tender, through the public purchasing unit TUNEPS.

For safety reasons, barriers were installed and the roads leading to the wall were closed and the remaining parts of the wall were consolidated, she added.

Local Health Director Maamar Hajji pointed out that 3 people were killed and three injured during the incident.

Streets leading to "Beb el Jalladine" and access to wall of the Medina were all closed.

The Local Delegation of Cultural Affairs urged relevant institutions to suspend all cultural activities and postpone all events to a later date.

Founded in 670 AD, Kairouan is one of North Africa's holiest cities and a leading tourist attraction. It has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1988.