RABAT: At least 296 people were killed and 153 others injured after a powerful earthquake of magnitude 6.8 hit Morocco, State-run Television Al-Aoula reported on Saturday. Earlier, local media reported that 37 people died in the tourist city Marrakech and 4 others in the province of Ouarzazate.
A powerful quake of magnitude 6.8 struck Morocco late on Friday, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said, panicking locals and tourists in Marrakesh.
Notable quake, preliminary info: M 6.8 – 56 km W of Oukaïmedene, Morocco https://t.co/X8RNuHZ6hH
— USGS Earthquakes (@USGS_Quakes) September 8, 2023
The earthquake’s epicenter was at a depth of 18.5 km and took place within 72 km northeast of Marrakesh at just after 11 p.m. local time, USGS said.
Several videos shared via social media showed buildings shaking and residents running out and assembling outside. Some videos showed debris in the streets and minor damage to houses and buildings. However, Reuters reported that it could not immediately verify the footage available on social media.
AFP cited global internet monitor NetBlocks as saying that internet connectivity was disrupted in Marrakesh city due to electricity cuts in the area.
Morocco often experiences quakes in its northern areas because of its position between the Eurasian and African plates.
In 2004, as many as 628 people were killed and 926 wounded when an earthquake struck Al Hoceima in northeastern Morocco.
The 1980 7.3-magnitude El Asnam quake in Algeria was one of the most destructive natural disaster in recent history in the region. The quake killed over 2,500 people and also left as many as 300,000 homeless.
