Powerful earthquake kills at least 632 people in Morocco

A powerful earthquake shook Morocco’s High Atlas Mountains on Friday night, killing at least 632 people, destroying buildings and forcing residents of major cities to flee their homes, state television reported.

The number of injured rose to 329, state media reported on Saturday, citing an updated initial death toll from the Interior Ministry.

A local official previously said most of the deaths occurred in hard-to-reach mountainous areas.

Residents of Marrakech, the major city closest to the epicenter, said some buildings had collapsed in the old city, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Local television showed images of a fallen mosque minaret and debris on top of smashed cars.

The Interior Ministry urged calm and said in its televised statement on the death toll that the earthquake had hit the provinces of Al Haouz, Ouarzazate, Marrakech, Azilal, Chichaoua and Taroudant.

Montasir Itri, a resident of the mountain village of Asni, near the epicenter, said most houses were damaged. “Our neighbors are under the rubble and people are working hard to rescue them using the means available in the town,” he said.

The Interior Ministry, in its televised statement on the death toll, called for calm and said the earthquake had affected the provinces of Al Haouz, Ouarzazate, Marrakech, Azilal, Chichaoua and Taroudant.via REUTERS

Further west, near Taroudant, teacher Hamid Afkar said he fled his home and felt aftershocks. “The ground shook for about 20 seconds. The doors opened and closed on their own as he ran down the stairs from the second floor,” he said.

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Morocco’s geophysical center said the quake struck in the Ighil area in the High Atlas with a magnitude of 7.2.

The U.S. Geological Survey estimated the earthquake’s magnitude at 6.8 and said it occurred at a relatively shallow depth of 11.5 miles.

The Interior Ministry said the figure was a preliminary death toll and that 153 people had been injured.The Interior Ministry said the figure constituted a preliminary death toll and that 153 people had been injured.via REUTERS
Morocco's geophysical center said the quake struck in the Ighil area in the High Atlas with a magnitude of 7.2.Morocco’s geophysical center said the earthquake occurred in the Ighil area in the High Atlas with a magnitude of 7.2.via REUTERS

Ighil, a mountainous area with small farming villages, is about 40 kilometers southwest of Marrakech. The earthquake occurred shortly after 11 p.m.

The earthquake is the deadliest in Morocco since a 2004 tremor near Al Hoceima in the northern Rif mountains that killed more than 600 people.

The United Nations was ready to assist the Moroccan government in “its efforts to assist the affected population,” U.N. spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said in a statement.

DAMAGE IN MARRAKECH

In Marrakech, some houses in the crowded old city had collapsed and people were working hard by hand to remove debris while waiting for heavy equipment, said resident Id Waaziz Hassan.

Images of the city’s medieval wall showed large cracks in one section and parts fallen, with debris lying in the street.

The Interior Ministry, in its televised statement on the death toll, called for calm and said the earthquake had affected the provinces of Al Haouz, Ouarzazate, Marrakech, Azilal, Chichaoua and Taroudant.The Interior Ministry, in its televised statement on the death toll, called for calm and said the earthquake had affected the provinces of Al Haouz, Ouarzazate, Marrakech, Azilal, Chichaoua and Taroudant.via REUTERS
People gather on a street in Casablanca after the earthquake because they feared another one could hit the area.People gather on a street in Casablanca after the earthquake because they feared another could hit the area.REUTERS

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Another Marrakech resident, Brahim Himmi, said he saw ambulances leaving the old town and many building facades damaged. He said people were scared and staying outside in case of another earthquake.

“The lamp fell from the ceiling and I ran out. I am still on the road with my children and we are afraid,” said Houda Hafsi, 43, in Marrakech.

Another woman there, Dalila Fahem, said there were cracks in her house and damage to her furniture. “Luckily I hadn’t gone to sleep yet,” she said.

He said people were scared and staying outside in case of another earthquake.A car is covered in dust as people remain outside after the earthquake.via REUTERS
In Marrakech, some houses in the crowded old city had collapsed and people were working hard by hand to remove debris while waiting for heavy equipment, said resident Id Waaziz Hassan.In Marrakech, some houses in the crowded old city had collapsed and people were working hard by hand to remove rubble while waiting for heavy equipment, said resident Id Waaziz Hassan.via REUTERS

People in the capital city of Rabat, about 350 kilometers north of Ighil, and the coastal city of Imsouane, about 180 kilometers to the west, also fled their homes fearing a stronger earthquake, according to Reuters witnesses. .

In Casablanca, about 250 kilometers north of Ighil, people who spent the night on the streets were too scared to return to their homes.

“The house shook aggressively, everyone was scared,” said resident Mohamed Taqafi. “I thought it was just my house that was moving because it is fragile and old. “I heard people screaming, everyone came out of their houses.”

Videos shared on social media immediately after the quake, which Reuters could not immediately verify, showed people fearfully running out of a shopping mall, restaurants and apartment buildings and gathering outside.

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Source: vtt.edu.vn

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