Morocco Earthquake: Death toll crosses 2000
Morocco is in mourning as the death toll from a devastating earthquake has risen to over 2,000. In response, flags will be flown at half-mast at all public facilities during a period of national mourning. This announcement came following a meeting chaired by Moroccan King Mohammed VI on the disaster, as reported by a news agency.
The earthquake, measuring 6.8 in magnitude, struck Morocco at 11:11 p.m. local time on a Friday, with an epicenter near the town of Ighil in Al Haouz Province, approximately 70 km southwest of Marrakesh. According to the United States Geological Survey, the quake occurred at a depth of 18.5 km.
The latest update from Morocco’s Interior Ministry, as of Saturday, reports that the earthquake has claimed the lives of 2,012 people and left 2,059 injured, with 1,404 in serious condition. This marks the most significant disaster Morocco has faced since 2004 when a 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck the port city of Al Hoceima, resulting in around 630 casualties.
Most of the earthquake’s victims are reported to be from remote and difficult-to-access mountainous regions near the epicenter. Rescue efforts have been hampered by damaged roads. Local media has reported that rescuers have been dispatched to the affected areas to search for survivors. Television footage has shown rescuers diligently working to dig through rubble and debris in their quest to save lives.
The earthquake’s impact was felt across various Moroccan cities, including the capital, Rabat, and Casablanca. Reports from local media indicate that numerous houses collapsed in Taroudant and Marrakesh.
In the small village of Imlil, situated in the High Atlas mountains about 60 km south of Marrakesh, video footage showed rows of buildings leveled to the ground. A resident, speaking anonymously, expressed the unprecedented strength of this earthquake, stating, “There have been earthquakes before, but none of them were as strong as this one.”
