Morocco Earthquake: 632 killed as Buildings Damaged

A strong earthquake of magnitude 6.8 has struck central Morocco, killing at least 632 people, the country’s interior ministry says.

The epicentre was in the High Atlas Mountains, 71km (44 miles) south-west of Marrakesh, at a depth of 18.5km, the US Geological Survey said.

The quake struck at 23:11 local time (22:11 GMT) on Friday. There was a 4.9 aftershock 19 minutes later.

People died in Marrakesh and several areas to the south, the ministry said.

Many of the victims are believed to be in remote areas.

The interior ministry said the earthquake killed people in the provinces and municipalities of al-Haouz, Marrakesh, Ouarzazate, Azilal, Chichaoua and Taroudant, adding that at least 329 people have been injured.

🚨 A powerful 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck Morocco last night resulting in over 632 people killed and hundreds more injured.

Thousands spent the night on the streets as buildings were damaged and destroyed. Keep them in your prayers.
🇲🇦 https://t.co/iRuP18JYVf pic.twitter.com/1H90LDzXuM

— muslim daily (@muslimdaily_) September 9, 2023

Many people spent the night out in the open as the Moroccan government had warned them not to go back into their homes in case of severe aftershocks.

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

There are also reports of families trapped under the rubble of their homes in the city, and damage to parts of the Medina, a Unesco World Heritage Site.

Some buildings have collapsed, one resident told the Reuters news agency. Several clips on X show buildings crashing down, but the BBC has not identified where they were.

Dust could also be seen surrounding the minaret of the historic Kutubiyya mosque in Marrakesh, a major tourist attraction near the old city’s main square.

One man described feeling a “violent tremor” and seeing “buildings moving”.

#BREAKING Morocco earthquake: 632 killed as buildings damaged

A strong earthquake of magnitude 6.8 has struck central Morocco, killing at least 632 people, the country's interior ministry says.#morroco #earthquake pic.twitter.com/jrMRmwBokI

— xPressUpdates (@xpressupdates) September 9, 2023

“People were all in shock and panic. The children were crying and the parents were distraught,” Abdelhak El Amrani told the AFP agency.

He said power and phone lines were down for 10 minutes.

Marrakesh resident Fayssal Badour had been driving when the quake hit.

“I stopped and realised what a disaster it was,” he told AFP. “The screaming and crying was unbearable.”

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