A strong earthquake struck central Morocco on the night of Friday, September 8, to Saturday, September 9, 2023, causing property damage in several cities, but authorities initially reported no injuries.
The epicenter of this earthquake, measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale according to the American Institute of Geophysics (USGS), is located southwest of the tourist city of Marrakech, 320 km south of the capital Rabat.
Panic among the population
The Rabat-based National Center for Scientific and Technical Research (CNRST) said the earthquake had a magnitude of 7 degrees on the Richter scale and that its epicenter was in Al-Haouz province.
Videos posted on social media showed buildings shaking and people running to gather outside. In addition to Marrakesh, it was also felt in Rabat, Casablanca and Essaouira and caused panic among the population. Many people took to the streets in these cities for fear of their houses collapsing, according to images posted on social networks.
“There’s not too much damage, more panic. At the time of the quake we heard screams. People are in the squares, in the cafes and prefer to sleep outside. There are parts of facades that have collapsed.”A resident of Essaouira, 200 km west of Marrakesh, told AFP, contacted by telephone.
Other videos showed debris in the streets and slightly damaged buildings. Portal could not immediately verify the images.