Heavy rains flooded an illegal garment factory in the northern Moroccan city of Tangier, killing at least 28 workers Monday, state television quoted a medical official as saying...

To meet growing international demand, numerous factories in Morocco, notably in Casablanca and Tangier, rely on unregulated shadow factories to speed up production and meet deadlines. Factories subcontract to such illegal units to better compete with cheaper Chinese and Turkish products.

Such hidden factories are mainly located in residential areas and up to 40 people often work in them, sometimes minors.

Long hours and low wages are a mark of such illegal work, usually in unsafe conditions, without fire extinguishers, emergency exits and indoor plumbing.