A magnitude 7 earthquake shook the northern Moroccan region of Marrakech on Friday, without it being known at the moment if there have been casualties or material damage.
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According to a seismic alert bulletin issued by the Moroccan National Institute of Geophysics, the earthquake occurred at 23:11 local time (00:11 GMT on Saturday).
It had its epicenter in the town of Ighil, located 63 kilometers southwest of the city of Marrakech, at a depth of 8 kilometers, the bulletin indicates.
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According to witnesses contacted by EFE, 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 its inhabitants took to the streets to prevent a possible second tremor.
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Sofía Catalá, a Spaniard living in the center of Marrakech, explained to EFE that during the earthquake “the ground began to move as in a bombardment.” “She thought the building was falling down, now everyone is out in the street in their pajamas,” she added.
Minutes after the earthquake, from the street, Catalá indicated that, Before the shocks, all the residents of her building came out and railings and other objects fell from the balconies, but she added that she did not see any building around her with significant damage..
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Said, a resident of Casablanca, confirmed to EFE that he had felt the earthquake. “It has not been very strong, but it lasted 15 seconds without stopping. I called my family immediately in Marrakech and there it has been strong, even my sister-in-law fainted from fright,” he explained by phone.
Although no official balance of material or human damage was announced, Internet users shared photos and videos of houses damaged or partially demolished in the old quarter of Marrakech, allegedly due to the earthquake.
EFE
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