Several buildings in the medina (old city) of Marrakech were damaged by the magnitude 7 earthquake which took place 60 kilometers from that city, without it being known whether any personal injuries were caused.
(Also: At least 296 dead and 153 injured by the earthquake in Morocco).
Khalid, a resident of the medina of Marrakech, indicated that the minaret of the Bab Ailan mosque fell to the ground due to the tremor and the entrance to the temple was also damaged.
Another resident of Marrakech explained that the mythical Jma El Fnaa square is full of people waiting in the open air, safe from possible aftershocks.
Although there is no official balance of material or human damage, Internet users shared photos and videos of houses damaged or partially demolished in the old quarter of Marrakech.
6.8 MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE IN MOROCCO
The epicenter of the 6.8 earthquake that shook #Morocco A few minutes ago, it would be between Marrakech and Agadir, where serious material damage and more than a dozen deaths have occurred. pic.twitter.com/KoDN2ntHcV
– Llamingo.Ec (@LlamingoE) September 9, 2023
According to a seismic alert bulletin released by the Moroccan National Institute of Geophysics, the earthquake, de magnitude 7, shook the northern Moroccan region of Marrakech and occurred at 11:11 p.m. 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.
Witnesses contacted by EFE indicated that 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. shaking.
Minutes after the earthquake, from the street, Sofía Catalá, a Spaniard living in the modern center of Marrakech, explained by phone that during the earthquake “the ground began to move as if during a bombing.”
(Also: September started with tremors in Meta: this was the epicenter and its magnitude
❗️The death toll from the Moroccan earthquake is close to 300
The powerful earthquake in Morocco has caused the death of at least 296 people, the country’s Ministry of the Interior has reported. In addition, there could be more dead and injured people under the rubble. #earthquake pic.twitter.com/46UqnoVDDE
— Sir (@sireemperador) September 9, 2023
“I thought the building was falling, now everyone is on the street in their pajamas,” he added.
Catalá indicated that, due to the shaking, all the residents of her building came out and that railings and other 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 on the phone.
EFE
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