The number of victims from the devastating earthquake that hit Morocco rose to 2,497 dead and 2,476 injured this Monday morningaccording to a note from the Moroccan Ministry of the Interior.
A seismic alert bulletin released by the Moroccan National Institute of Geophysics explains that the earthquake, of magnitude 7, shook the northern Moroccan region of Marrakech and occurred at 11:11 pm (local time) on Friday, at a depth of 8 kilometers .
(You may be interested in: Earthquake in Morocco LIVE: the number of dead people rises to nearly 2,500).
The earthquake had its epicenter in the town of Ighil, located about 80 kilometers southwest of the city of Marrakech.
According to the latest data released by this department, deaths were recorded in a dozen provinces, but The most affected are Al Haouz, – south of Marrakech and close to the epicenter of the earthquake -, with 1,452 deaths, followed by Taroudant, with 764 deaths, and Chichaoua, with 202 deaths.
But human losses are not the only ones that plague the African country. Marrakech, the tourist heart of Morocco and a city declared an architectural jewel and a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, suffered serious losses to its historical structures.
Architectural jewels seriously affected in Marrakech
The Koutoubia Mosque, which dates back to the 12th century, is of great historical and tourist importance in the city: it is one of the most visited places in the region due to the architectural inspiration it provided to the Giralda in Seville (Spain). The international press announced that the structure of the religious center was affected by the earthquake.
But the tourist places affected are not only in Marrakech. One of the most important historical sites in the affected region, built in the 12th century by the Almohad dynasty, was destroyed in several parts: the Tinme mosque. An official analysis of the destruction is not yet known, according to the Spanish news network RTVE.
Stefanía León Arroyave*With information from EFE
#architectural #gems #lost #tragic #earthquake #Morocco