2023-09-09 03:00:00
According to the preliminary official report, there are at least 296 dead
At least 296 people died from a powerful 6.9 magnitude earthquake that shook central Morocco on Friday night, with its epicenter near the tourist city of Marrakech, the Ministry of the Interior said.
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“According to a provisional balance, this earthquake caused the death of 296 people in the provinces and municipalities of Al Haouz, Marrakech, Ouarzazate, Azilal, Chichaoua and Taroudant,” the ministry said in a statement.
In addition, another 153 people were injured.
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According to the seismic alert bulletin released by the Moroccan National Institute of Geophysics, the earthquake occurred at 11:11 p.m. local time and had its epicenter in the town of Ighil, located 63 kilometers southwest of the city of Marrakech, a depth of 8 kilometers.
According to witnesses, the tremor was felt in northern towns such as Larache, 550 kilometers from the epicenter. (REUTERS)
The injured, of varying severity, were transferred to hospital centers, indicates the ministry, which adds that there was also material damage in uninhabited areas.
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According to the Interior Ministry, which calls on citizens to remain calm, the security and civil protection forces of all the affected provinces were mobilized, as well as the necessary means to intervene and assess the damage.
The injured, of varying severity, were transferred to hospital centers, indicates the ministry, which adds that there was also material damage in uninhabited areas.
In statements to Hesvpress, the division head of the Moroccan Institute explained that “hundreds of aftershocks have occurred, but most of them have not been felt.”
Moroccan media claim that it is the most powerful earthquake to hit this kingdom in North Africa so far.
Videos posted on social media show debris flying into narrow alleys and objects falling from shelves.
In a town in Al Haouz province, a family was trapped in the rubble after their house collapsed, according to media.
Citing medical sources, news website Médias24 said there had been “a massive influx” of injured people into Marrakech hospitals.
The earthquake occurred at 11:11 p.m. local time and had its epicenter in the town of Ighil, located 63 kilometers southwest of the city of Marrakech. (REUTERS)
According to witnesses, the tremor was felt in northern towns such as Larache, 550 kilometers from the epicenter, as well as in Casablanca and Rabat, 300 and 370 kilometers away, respectively, where their inhabitants took to the streets to prevent a possible second tremor.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) PAGER system, which provides preliminary assessments of the impact of earthquakes, issued an orange alert for economic losses, estimating that significant damage is likely.
The division head of the Moroccan Institute explained that “hundreds of aftershocks have occurred, but most of them have not been felt.” (Capture)
“The population in this region lives in structures that are highly vulnerable to seismic shaking,” the USGS said.
Sofía Catalá, a Spanish resident in the center of Marrakech, explained that during the earthquake “the ground began to move as if during a bombing.” “I thought the building was falling, now everyone is on the street in their pajamas,” she added.
The US Geological Survey’s PAGER system issued an orange alert for economic losses, estimating that significant damage is likely. (REUTERS)
Minutes after the earthquake, Catalá indicated that, due to the shaking, all the residents of her building went out into the street in panic and several objects fell from the balconies, but she added that she did not see any buildings around her with significant damage.
Said, a resident of Casablanca, confirmed having felt the earthquake. “It wasn’t very strong, but it lasted 15 seconds without stopping. I immediately called my family in Marrakech and it was strong there, even my sister-in-law fainted from shock,” he explained by phone.
Hundreds injured after the powerful earthquake in Morocco.
Morocco experiences frequent earthquakes in its northern region due to its position between the African and Eurasian plates.
In 2004, at least 628 people were killed and 926 injured when an earthquake hit Al Hoceima, in the northeast of the country.
The epicenter was recorded in the town of Ighil, located 63 kilometers southwest of the city of Marrakech, at a depth of 8 kilometers.
In 1980, the 7.3 magnitude El Asnam earthquake in neighboring Algeria was one of the most destructive earthquakes in contemporary history. It left 2,500 dead and at least 300,000 homeless.
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