In Marrakesh, the largest city closest to the epicenter, some houses collapsed, with residents working hard to clear the rubble while waiting for heavy equipment to arrive.
Some residents of the city, which is listed on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) list, said that a number of buildings collapsed, and local television showed pictures of the collapse of the minaret of a mosque and the scattering of rubble on smashed cars.
Footage of the city wall, which dates back to the Middle Ages, also showed parts of it falling and scattering on the street, as well as large cracks in one of its sections.
Ibrahim Himi, a resident of Marrakesh, said that he saw ambulances leaving the old city, and that many building facades were damaged.
“Many people who stayed outside in anticipation of another earthquake were gripped by fear,” he added.
Hoda Hafsi, 43 years old, in Marrakesh, said that the chandelier fell from the ceiling, forcing her to run into the street. “I am still on the road with my children and we are afraid.”
Another woman, Dalilah Fahem, said there were cracks in her house and damage to furniture.
She added: “Fortunately, I had not fallen asleep yet. I felt the shock and ran away when the belongings in the house began to fall.”
Some video clips on social media platforms showed the collapse of buildings and rubble in the streets, and people running out of a shopping center, restaurants, and residential buildings, and gathering in the streets.
The earthquake struck the High Atlas Mountains region in Morocco, killing at least 296 people and wounding 153, according to a preliminary toll from the Ministry of the Interior. An official said that most of the deaths occurred in mountainous areas that are difficult to reach.
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