At least 296 people have been killed in a major earthquake in Morocco. In addition, 153 injured people were taken to hospitals for treatment. According to the Ministry of the Interior, most of the damage occurred outside the cities and historic monuments were also damaged.
According to eyewitness accounts, the earthquake caused panic among residents of Marrakech, Agadir and other cities. As the newspaper “Le Matin” reported, the earthquake was also felt in Rabat and Casablanca.
Moroccans posted videos showing buildings reduced to rubble and damaged parts of the famous red walls surrounding Marrakech’s old city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Other videos show people screaming as they leave restaurants in the city. The earthquake was also reportedly felt in Portugal and Algeria.
Strongest earthquake in Morocco in a hundred years
Nasser Jabour, head of a department at the National Institute of Geophysics, confirmed that the aftershocks were less severe. The earthquake was felt within a radius of 400 kilometers, he told Moroccan news agency MAP. It is the first time in a century that such a strong earthquake has been recorded in Morocco.
Earthquakes in North Africa are relatively rare. According to Al Arabiya broadcaster, a magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck near Agadir in 1960, killing thousands of people.
The European Union has offered help to Morocco. “The EU is ready to support Morocco in these difficult moments,” EU Council President Charles Michel wrote on X (formerly Twitter) on Saturday morning. The news from the country is terrible. His thoughts are with everyone affected by the tragedy and with the rescue workers.
The US Earthquake Observatory USGS said the earthquake had a magnitude of 6.8 and occurred at a depth of 18.5 kilometers, more than 70 kilometers southwest of Marrakesh and 60 kilometers northeast of the city of Taroudant. The epicenter was in the Atlas Mountains. A short time later, US authorities reported an aftershock with a magnitude of 4.9.
Source: Krone
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