Earthquake in Morocco: An earthquake shakes Morocco and causes more than 800 deaths

taketonews

The number of deaths in the earthquake that struck Morocco last night exceeded the thousand barrier, up to 1,037, in the balance given up to 1:00 p.m. local time (GMT+1), the same as the injured, which were counted at 1,204, 721 of them serious.

According to the latest data released this Saturday by the Moroccan Ministry of the Interior, victims were registered in a dozen provinces: Al Haouz-south of Marrakech and close to the epicenter-, with 542 deaths, followed by Taroudant (321 fatalities), Chichaoua (103 deaths), Ouarzazate (38), Marrakesh (13), Azilal (eleven), Agadir (5), White House (3), Al Youssufia (1) and in Tinguir (1).

The injured, of varying severity, were taken to hospitals.indicates the ministry, which adds that it also There was material damage in uninhabited areas.

According to the Interior, which calls on citizens to remain calm, security and civil protection forces from all affected prefectures and provinces have been mobilized, as well as the necessary means to intervene and assess the damage.

On social networks, Moroccans have shared numerous photos and videos showing damaged and fallen buildings, some with people injured or apparently dead among the rubble.

Various buildings in the medina (old city) of Marrakesh were damaged due to the earthquake.

According to a seismic alert bulletin released by the National Institute of Geophysics Moroccan earthquake, of magnitude 7, struck the Moroccan northern region of Marrakech and occurred at 23:11 local time (00:11 GMT on Saturday) at a depth of 8 kilometers. It had its epicenter in the town of Ighil, located 63 kilometers southwest of the city of Marrakech.

Residents of Marrakech explained to EFE their fear during the tremor, which lasted several minutes and damaged buildings and mosques from the medina (old city).

Khalid, a resident of the medina, indicated that the minaret of the mosque of Bab Ailan it fell to the ground due to the tremor and the entrance of the temple was also damaged.

Another resident of Marrakech explained that after the tremor the mythical Plaza de Jma El Fnaa it was filled with people to protect themselves from possible aftershocks and that the authorities did not allow citizens to walk through the narrow streets of the old city.

Witnesses contacted by EFE indicated that the earthquake was felt in northern towns such as Larache550 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 aftershocks.

Some accounts on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, showed tremors being felt. Videos posted on the platform showed people running into the streets and buildings shaking.

According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), which records seismic activity around the world, the earthquake occurred at 11:11 p.m. local time (00:11 GMT Saturday) at a depth of 18.5 kilometers.

It is noticeable in Andalusia

Emergencies 112 Andalusia has registered twenty calls from the provinces of Huelva, Seville, Malaga and Jaén due to the Moroccan earthquake.

112 has received calls that, in all cases, alert that there have been earthworks in the aforementioned provinces, no damage reported for the moment on Andalusian soil apart from the shock of the citizens.

Frequent earthquakes

Related news

Morocco experiences frequent earthquakes in its northern region due to its position between African and Eurasian plates. In 2004, at least 628 people were killed and 926 injured when an earthquake hit Al Hoceima, in the northeast of the country.

In 1980, the 7.3 magnitude El Asnam earthquake in neighboring Algeria was one of the most destructive earthquakes in contemporary history. It left 2,500 dead and at least 300,000 homeless.



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