At least 296 people died and another 153 were injured in different Moroccan towns due to the magnitude 7 earthquake that occurred on Friday night with an epicenter 60 kilometers southwest of the city of Marrakech.
As reported by the Moroccan Ministry of the Interior in a note, until 2:00 local time (GMT+1) deaths were registered in the provinces and prefectures of Al Haouz, Marrakech, Ouarzazate, Azilal, Chichaoua and Taroudant.
The wounded, of varying severity, were taken to hospitals, the ministry said, adding that there was also material damage in non-inhabited areas.
According to Interior, which calls on citizens to remain calm, security and civil protection forces have been mobilized from all the affected province prefectures, as well as the necessary means to intervene and assess the damage.
On social networks, Moroccans have shared numerous photos and videos showing damaged and fallen buildings, some with people injured or apparently dead in the rubble.
Several buildings in the medina (old city) of Marrakech were damaged by the earthquake.
According to a seismic alert bulletin released by the Moroccan National Institute of Geophysics, the magnitude 7 earthquake struck the northern Moroccan region of Marrakech and occurred at 11:11 p.m. local time (0011 GMT on Saturday) 8 kilometers deep.
It had its epicenter in the town of Ighil, located 63 kilometers southwest of the city of Marrakech.
Residents of Marrakech explained to EFE their fear during the tremor, which lasted several minutes and damaged buildings and mosques in the medina (old city).
Khalid, a resident of the medina, said the minaret of the Bab Ailan Mosque fell to the ground in the tremor and the entrance to the temple was also damaged.
🇲🇦 | URGENT – EARTHQUAKE IN MOROCCO: The moment when a building completely collapsed after the earthquake that hit Marrakesh in Morocco recently.pic.twitter.com/xXd6MTVfDv
— Alerta News 24 (@AlertaNews24) September 9, 2023
Another resident of Marrakech explained that after the earthquake the mythical Jma El Fnaa square was filled with people to protect themselves from possible aftershocks and that the authorities did not allow citizens to walk through the narrow streets of the old city.
Witnesses contacted by EFE indicated that the earthquake 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 aftershocks.
EFE
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