Nearly 3,000 dead after powerful 6.8 magnitude earthquake strikes Morocco - UPDATES

Vishwam Sankaran
The Independent
Sat, 09 Sep 2023 08:15 UTC

A damaged vehicle is pictured in the historic city of Marrakech

At least 632 people were killed in Morocco after a powerful earthquake struck late Friday night near Marrakech, according to state-run television.

The death toll has surged from the earlier 296 dead and 153 injured figures that were given by the country's interior ministry. Most deaths were reported from Morocco's hard-to-reach mountainous areas, according to Reuters.

The epicentre of the quake was reported to be at the High Atlas mountains in the Ighil area, about 70km south of Marrakech.

It was said to be about 18km below the Earth's surface by the US Geological Survey (USGS), while Morocco's own National Seismic Monitoring and Alert Network, estimated it to be 11km below. Shallow quakes such as this are said to be more dangerous.

The tremors, measured at a 7.2 magnitude by Morocco's own seismic agency, toppled several buildings across cities and sent people running from their homes late at night.

The quake had initially registered a magnitude of 6.8 when it hit at 11.11 pm local time on Friday, with an aftershock that measured 4.9 on the Ritcher scale about 20 minutes later, according to the USGS.

Local news reports suggest Marrakech and the surrounding areas were the worst affected areas, with some buildings completely turned to rubble and dust. Morocco's interior ministry said the tremors hit the provinces of Al Haouz, Ouarzazate, Marrakech, Azilal, Chichaoua, and Taroudant. Officials urged residents to remain calm.

Locals shared videos on social media platforms showing the collapsed buildings, including the famous red walls surrounding the old city and Unesco World Heritage site Marrakech.

Videos showed people running out of restaurants and apartment buildings and congregating outside.

Some buildings collapsed completely with hospitals also being evacuated.

One of Marrakech's most famous landmarks suffered damage as well, according to reports. The 12th century Koutoubia mosque, the 226ft-long minaret of which is known as the "roof of Marrakech", suffered damage, but the extent of the destruction has not been ascertained yet.

Several homes of Talat N'Yaaqoub town, near the epicentre, have been partially or completely demolished, said Abderrahim Ait Daoud, the town's head.

"Our neighbours are under the rubble and people are working hard to rescue them using available means in the village," a resident of the village Asni near the epicentre, told Reuters.

The USGS estimates that about 20 million people likely felt shaking from the earthquake with over 2 million people experiencing strong to very strong shaking.

The tremors were felt as far away as Portugal and Algeria, Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere and Algeria's Civil Defense agency said.

Moroccan officials and Morocco's official news agency MAP have not published information about casualties or damage.

The tremors are the strongest in years affecting Morocco.

Messages of support from across the globe have poured in.

The UN said it "is ready to assist the government of Morocco in its efforts to assist the impacted population".

The European Union's Commissioner for Crisis Management Janez Lenarčič said the EU is "ready to provide any assistance necessary". "Central Morocco has been hit by a devastating earthquake taking a heavy toll on human life," Mr Lenarčič said.

The G20 summit, that kicked off early morning Saturday in India, began with a condolence message from prime minister Narendra Modi. "Before starting the official proceedings, I would like to express my condolences to the people impacted by the earthquake in Morocco," Mr Modi said.

"The world is with Morocco and we are really to provide them with all the possible help."

Countries have, meanwhile, called for caution for those travelling to Morocco.

The US embassy in Morocco has advised American citizens to "exercise caution" for the next 24 hours in case of additional earthquakes or aftershocks.

"A tsunami warning will also be in effect for coastal areas," the embassy said. "Adhere to police instructions regarding road closures or traffic disruptions," it added.
The UK has also urged travellers to follow local media and safety instructions from local authorities.

In 1960, a magnitude 5.8 quake that struck near Morocco's Agadir caused thousands of deaths.

Comment: Update

The BBC reports:

A strong earthquake of magnitude 6.8 has struck central Morocco, killing at least 1,000 people and causing severe damage in several areas.

Residents rushed into the streets when the quake struck at 23:11 local time on Friday.

"Violent" tremors were felt in several areas of the country from Casablanca to Marrakesh, where many buildings have been destroyed or severely damaged.

Many of the victims are believed to be in hard-to-reach mountain areas.

The epicentre was in the High Atlas Mountains, 71km (44 miles) south-west of Marrakesh.

Many people are still believed to be under the rubble and rescue efforts are under way. Several bodies have already been recovered.

Hospitals in Marrakesh have seen an influx of injured people, and the authorities have called on residents to donate blood.

Morocco's interior ministry said the earthquake killed people in the provinces and municipalities of al-Haouz, Marrakesh, Ouarzazate, Azilal, Chichaoua and Taroudant, adding that more than 1,200 had been injured.

In Marrakesh some buildings have collapsed and the damage is particularly severe in parts of the Medina, a Unesco World Heritage site.

Dust could be seen surrounding the minaret of the historic Kutubiyya mosque, a major tourist attraction near the old city's main square, while the historic Jemaa el Fnaa mosque partly collapsed.

© REUTERSThe Jemaa el Fnaa mosque in Marrakesh suffered damages, especially to its tower
Resident Rashid Ben Arabi rushed to his car in Marrakesh minutes after the earthquake struck the city last night.

He quickly headed with his wife and one-year-old daughter to the town of Amizmiz - about 56km (35 miles) from Marrakesh - to make sure his father and mother were still alive.

He said the roads were full as everyone fled the city amid complete darkness and a power outage.

"As soon as I entered my town, I saw people in a hysterical state, crying and screaming, and everyone was looking for their families," he said.

"I saw a man lying on the ground by the rubble of his house; he could hear the screams of his two children trapped under the destroyed building, but he couldn't do anything to help them; rescue teams hadn't yet arrived at the scene."

Rashid eventually found his parents who were safe and sound but wrapped in blankets and sleeping in the street.

They were among the many people who spent the night out in the open as the Moroccan government had warned everyone not to go back into their homes in case of severe aftershocks.

A 4.9 aftershock was recorder 19 minutes after the earthquake.

The extent of the damage in mountain villages is instead unknown, but it is believed to be widespread.

Update September 10

The Sunday World reports:

Over 2,000 people have been confirmed dead in an earthquake in Morocco and the toll is expected to rise as rescuers struggled Saturday to reach hard-hit remote areas.

A rare, powerful quake struck Morocco, sending people racing from their beds into the streets and toppling buildings in mountainous villages and ancient cities not built to withstand such force.

The magnitude 6.8 quake, the biggest to hit the North African country in 120 years, sent people fleeing their homes in terror and disbelief late Friday. One man said dishes and wall hangings began raining down, and people were knocked off their feet. The quake brought down walls made from stone and masonry, covering whole communities with rubble.

Update September 14

AP reports:

The building where Naima Ait Brahim Ouali lived in a third-story apartment with her five children was one of many that were destroyed by the earthquake that killed nearly 3,000 people in Morocco last week.

A house cleaner, she and her daughter fell down the stairs as the quake tore off the building's top floor and laid waste to much of the rest of their neighborhood in the town of Amizmiz, near the epicenter.

Like children in many parts of the world, Ait Brahim Quali's youngest had just started their school year. Now, relocated with the rest of the Sourejdid neighborhood to a tent city in the town center, fear sets in at around 11 p.m. each night — the time the earthquake happened last Friday.

"They saw death," she said of her children, who range in age from 10 to 25. One of her daughters now has nightmares.

The displaced family is one of many in Morocco wondering what their future holds, particularly as autumn approaches and the nights get colder. Though many villagers are being provided with food and water, officials said it could take five or six years to rebuild Atlas Mountain communities like Amizmiz, which is more than an hour's drive from the closest big city, Marrakech.

The death toll from the 6.8 magnitude quake stood at 2,946 on Wednesday, with several thousand injuries. The government doesn't release the number of deaths by community, but in Amizmiz, everyone seems to know at least someone who was killed.