At least 296 people were killed and 153 injured as a result of a powerful earthquake in Morocco on Friday evening, September 8. The strength of the tremors was 6.8 on the Richter scale.
People remain under the rubble of collapsed houses, data on the dead and injured is preliminary, reports AFP/France24. A statement from the Moroccan Interior Ministry said:
“According to preliminary data, the earthquake killed 296 people in the provinces and municipalities of Al-Haouz, Marrakesh, Ouarzazate, Azilal, Chichaoua and Taroudant. The authorities have mobilized all necessary resources to help the affected areas.”
The earthquake occurred on September 8 at 23:11 (22:11 GMT), 44 miles (71 km) southwest of the tourist center of Marrakech, its epicenter was at a depth of 18.5 kilometers, the US Geological Survey said.
Hospitals in Marrakesh, media write, are faced with a “massive influx” of wounded. The regional blood transfusion center in Marrakesh has called on residents to donate blood for victims. Large-scale destruction and panic are reported; people remain under the rubble.
The earthquake was also felt in the coastal cities of Rabat, Casablanca and Essaouira. The U.S. Geological Survey’s PAGER system, which provides preliminary estimates of the impact of earthquakes, issued an orange economic loss alert, meaning significant losses are likely.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kp6q0J7jMQc
The USGS noted: “People in this region live in buildings that are highly vulnerable to earthquakes.”
According to global Internet monitoring NetBlocks, Internet connections in Marrakech are disrupted due to power outages. Moroccan media note that this is the most powerful earthquake to occur in the country.
The earthquake was also felt in neighboring Algeria, where civil defense said it caused no damage or casualties.
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