Mosa’ab Elshamy/AP
People inspect their damaged homes after a rare 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck Morocco on Friday evening.
CNN –
More than 2,000 people have died after a powerful earthquake struck the North African country of Morocco on Friday evening. Thousands were injured.
The quake is the strongest to hit the center of the country in more than a century, and its epicenter was not far from the popular tourist and commercial hub of Marrakech.
Here’s what we know so far.
When and where did the earthquake occur?
The earthquake occurred around 11:11 p.m. local time (6:11 p.m. ET). Its epicenter was in the High Atlas Mountains, about 72 kilometers (44.7 miles) southwest of Marrakech, a city of about 840,000 people.
But its effects were felt as far north as Casablanca, as this map shows.
Check out this interactive content on CNN.com
The quake had a magnitude of 6.8 and is therefore classified as “strong”. It also struck at a relatively shallow depth, making it more destructive.
According to the US Geological Survey, earthquakes of this size are unusual but not unexpected in the region. It has been noted that nine earthquakes of magnitude 5 or greater have struck the area since 1900, but none have been greater than magnitude 6.
The earthquake is the worst in Morocco since 1960, when more than 12,000 people died.
According to the WHO, more than 300,000 people are affected in Marrakech and the surrounding area. Historic sites were damaged, but areas near the Atlas Mountains were hardest hit.
Eyewitnesses in the foothills of the mountains reported that some towns were completely destroyed and almost all houses in one area of Asni village were damaged.
More than a thousand people died in Al Haouz province and more than 400 died in the southwestern Moroccan city of Taroudant.
The exact extent of the earthquake is still unclear.
Fadel Senna/AFP/Getty Images
Residents sought shelter in a square outside on Saturday after the earthquake.
Rescue workers were dispatched to affected regions, although some roads were damaged or blocked by debris. Some remote villages at the foot of the mountain were difficult to reach.
Mohammed, 50, from the town of Ouirgane, lost four family members in the quake. “I managed to get out safely with my two children, but I lost the rest. My house is gone.” he said.
The rescue operations are still ongoing. “We are on the streets with the authorities as they try to retrieve the dead from the rubble. Many, many people were transported to the hospital before me. We hope for miracles from the rubble,” he said.
In Marrakesh, some residents spent the night on the streets, afraid to return to their homes. Others fled the city altogether. Aftershocks were warned.
The Moroccan government said it was using all available resources to deal with the quake and urged people to “avoid panic”.
King Mohammed VI of Morocco ordered the creation of a relief commission to distribute aid to survivors, including orphans and people who lost their homes in the disaster.
He also declared three days of national mourning and ordered mosques across the country to hold mourning prayers, known as “janazah prayers,” for those killed on Sunday noon.
Abdelhak Balhaki/Portal
After the quake, people work alongside the damage in the historic city of Marrakech.
Many world leaders have expressed their condolences and offered support to Morocco.
France has activated emergency aid from local government funds to help with humanitarian operations in the earthquake-affected regions.
Turkey, hit by a devastating earthquake earlier this year that killed tens of thousands of people, agreed to send 265 staff and 1,000 tents to Morocco to support relief efforts.
Algeria, which severed diplomatic ties with Morocco in 2021 and closed its airspace to all Moroccan-registered aircraft, announced it would reopen its airspace to humanitarian aid and medical flights to and from the Arab country.
The United Nations and U.S. President Joe Biden have also agreed to provide aid, and the World Bank has said it has offered “full support” to the country.
Many other world leaders, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G20 summit, Chinese leader Xi Jinping, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, have expressed their condolences.