- By Laurence Peter and Alex Kleiderman
- BBC News
September 9, 2023
Updated 29 minutes ago
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Observe: After the disaster there are piles of rubble on the street in Marrakech
A powerful 6.8 magnitude earthquake has struck central Morocco, killing at least 632 people, according to the country’s interior ministry.
The epicenter was in the High Atlas Mountains, 71 km (44 miles) southwest of Marrakesh, at a depth of 18.5 km, the US Geological Survey said.
The quake occurred at 11:11 p.m. local time (22:11 GMT) on Friday. 19 minutes later there was an aftershock measuring 4.9.
The ministry said people died in Marrakech and several areas in the south.
Many of the victims are said to be in remote areas.
According to the Interior Ministry, the earthquake killed people in the provinces and municipalities of al-Haouz, Marrakesh, Ouarzazate, Azilal, Chichaoua and Taroudant and injured at least 329 people.
Many people spent the night outdoors as the Moroccan government warned them not to return to their homes in the event of severe aftershocks.
Hospitals in Marrakesh recorded an influx of injured people and authorities 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 collapsed, a resident told Portal. Several clips on X show buildings collapsing, but the BBC did not identify where they were.
Dust was also seen around the minaret of Marrakech’s historic Kutubiyya Mosque, a major tourist attraction near the Old City’s main square.
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Watch: Dust surrounds historic Kutubiyya Mosque, sparking fears of collapse
One man described feeling a “violent shaking” and seeing “buildings moving.”
“People were all shocked and panicked. The children were crying and the parents were distraught,” Abdelhak El Amrani told AFP.
He said power and phone lines were down for 10 minutes.
Fayssal Badour, who lives in Marrakesh, was driving when the quake struck.
“I stopped and realized what a disaster it was,” he told AFP. “The screaming and crying was unbearable.”
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Damage to an old mosque in the historic city of Marrakesh
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Civil defense forces are searching for survivors in Chicaoua
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Alarmed residents of Casablanca fled their homes and camped on the streets overnight
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After the earthquake, people in Rabat sought shelter outdoors
The quake’s epicenter, in a remote area of the High Atlas, was relatively flat – and tremors were also reportedly felt in the capital Rabat, about 350 km away, as well as in Casablanca and Essaouira.
Simple buildings in mountain villages near the epicenter may not have survived and, due to their remote location, it may take some time to determine the number of victims there.
British journalist Martin Jay, who lives in Morocco, was woken up by screams.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “On this strange evening, in almost every city in Morocco, most people are sitting on the ground outside their houses or blocks of flats, fearful of the second earthquake they had predicted.” two hours later. Thank God that wasn’t the case.
The quake was also felt in neighboring Algeria, but officials said it caused no damage or casualties.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at the G20 summit in Delhi that the international community would come to Morocco’s aid.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez offered “solidarity and support” to the Moroccan people. French President Emmanuel Macron said he was “devastated” by the news and offered help to Morocco.
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