At least 2,000 dead in Morocco earthquake, people sleep outside at night

Moroccan king announces national prayer for victims

Moroccan King Mohammed VI ordered all mosques in the country on Sunday to hold prayers for the earthquake victims. The so-called prayer for the absent (Salat Al Ghaib) will be held after midday prayers, like this report Moroccan media.

What do we know so far about the earthquake in Morocco?

Morocco was hit by an earthquake on Friday evening around 11 p.m., the deadliest since 1960. The epicenter of the quake was in the south of the country, in the Atlas Mountains, about 71 kilometers southwest of the country’s second largest city, Marrakech . Here’s what we know so far about the natural disaster:

• The death toll has risen rapidly since Friday evening. During the night from Saturday to Sunday, the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs established that At least 2,012 people died and 2,059 people were injuredof whom 1,404 were seriously injured.
• Most likely its in In reality many more people died at the natural disaster. The area most affected is mountainous. Roads leading to the victims are blocked, making it difficult for emergency services to reach the affected area. Many people may still be buried under the rubble.
• In the night from Saturday to Sunday many families in the affected areas slept on the streets, because their houses have been destroyed or because of fear of collapses. “It is a painful experience,” 68-year-old Noureddine Lahbabi told Reuters news agency as he and his four children prepared to sleep on the streets of Marrakech.
• An earthquake of this magnitude is rare in this region, geologist Douwe van Hinsbergen, affiliated with Utrecht University, said on Saturday. NRC. “The Atlas is being pushed up because the Africa tectonic plate and the Europa tectonic plate are moving towards each other, but that is happening extremely slowly,” says Van Hinsbergen. “In Marrakech, buildings that are about five hundred years old have been damaged: that is indicative that such severe shocks are rare.”
• Morocco has three days of national mourning declared after the earthquake. The national flag will be flown at half-mast on all public buildings. Currently, rescue teams, led by the armed forces, are trying to provide the affected area with clean drinking water, food, tents and blankets.
• The Netherlands supports Morocco with 5 million euros, outgoing minister Liesje Schreinemacher (Development Cooperation, VVD) announced on Saturday. This emergency aid will end up in Morocco via the Red Cross. Amsterdam and Rotterdam also announced that they would donate 1 euro per inhabitant to the victims of the earthquake.
• The Red Cross opened itself Giro 6868, where people can make donations for assistance by the Red Crescent, the name of the organization in Morocco. The organization has not yet announced the amount received so far.