Residents worried about the destruction of their homes slept on the streets of Marrakesh. Photo: Getty
A powerful earthquake rocked Morocco, damaging buildings in major cities and killing hundreds of people.
By Saturday morning, the death toll had reached 296, with the highest death toll expected to be recorded in Al-Hawz governorate south of Marrakech, where at least one family is still trapped. under the rubble of his house. About 153 people were being treated for injuries.
Strong tremors were also felt in the coastal cities of Rabat, Casablanca and Essaouira.
“We felt a very strong shaking and I realized it was an earthquake,” Abdelhak El-Amrani, a 33-year-old resident of Marrakech, told AFP.
“I saw buildings moving. We don't necessarily have reflexes for situations like this. Then I went outside and there were a lot of people there. All the people were in shock and panic. Children were crying and parents were distraught.
“The electricity went out for 10 minutes, as did the (telephone) network, but then it came back on,” he added. “Everyone decided to stay outside.”
The horrifying moment of the collapse captured on surveillance camera#Morocco #moroccoearthquake #Morocco #earthquakemorocco #earthquake #earthquake pic.twitter.com/FedDBLZ9WL
— Dr. Amir Khan ڈاکٹر عامر خان (@DrAmirKhan22) September 9, 2023
Engineer Faisal Baddour said he felt the earthquake three times in his building.
“People have just come out into the streets after this total panic, and there are families who are still sleeping on the streets because we were so afraid of the strength of this earthquake,” he said. “It was as if a train was passing next to our houses.”
The streets of Marrakesh are covered in rubble Photo: Al Oula TV
43 Frenchman Michel Bizet, who owns three traditional riads in the old town of Marrakech, told AFP that he was in bed at the time of the earthquake.
“I thought my bed would fly away. I walked out into the street half naked and immediately went to see my riads. It was complete chaos, a real disaster, madness,” he said.
🚨🚨🇲🇦After the 7.1 magnitude earthquake that occurred in Morocco, the Koutoubia Mosque may collapse 😨#Earthquake #Seisme #زلزال pic.twitter.com/SFB0Kqr16u
— AkramPRO (@iamAkramPRO) September 9, 2023
A 43-year-old man shared a video of piles of rubble from collapsed walls in the street. Footage on social media also shows part of a minaret collapsing in the historic city's famous Jemaa el-Fna Square.
Fayssal Badour, another Marrakech resident, told AFP he was driving when the earthquake hit.
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“I stopped and realized what a disaster it was… The screaming and crying were unbearable.” , he said.
The Interior Ministry said authorities had “mobilized all necessary resources to intervene and help the affected areas.” «.
It is reported that there has been a «massive influx» of wounded in Marrakesh hospitals.
The regional blood transfusion center in Marrakech has called on residents to donate blood for the wounded.
The regional blood transfusion center in Marrakesh has called on residents to donate blood for the wounded.
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After this, the car is covered in dust Photo: Al Oula TV One of the worst disasters in the country
The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake had a preliminary magnitude of 6.8 when it struck around 11 p.m. local time, with shaking lasting several seconds. . Morocco's National Seismic Monitoring and Warning Network rated it at 7 on the Richter scale. The US agency reported a magnitude 4.9 aftershock 19 minutes later.
Variations in early measurements are common, although both would be the strongest in Morocco in years. Although earthquakes are relatively rare in North Africa, a magnitude 5.8 tremor occurred near Agadir and caused thousands of deaths in 1960.
The moment a building collapses in #Morocco after a powerful #earthquake
#Maroc #moroccosismo #earthquake #deprem #earthquakes #Sismo #Morocco pic.twitter.com/zXeLEuNVEA
— Updates (@sirfupdate) September 9, 2023
The epicenter of Friday's tremor was high in the Atlas Mountains, about 43 miles south of Marrakech. It was also close to Toubkal, North Africa's highest peak, and Oukaimeden, a popular Moroccan ski resort.
The USGS PAGER system, which provides preliminary estimates of the impact of earthquakes, issued a red alert for economic losses. , saying that serious damage was possible and the disaster was likely to be widespread.
Past events with this level of alarm required a national or international response, according to the U.S. government agency.
Moroccan media reported that it was the strongest earthquake to hit the country to date.
The quake was also felt in neighboring Algeria, where Algerian Civil Defense said it did not cause any damage or casualties.
In 2004, at least 628 people were killed and 926 injured in an earthquake in Al Hoceima in northeastern Morocco.
A magnitude 7.3 earthquake in Al Asnam in neighboring Algeria in 1980 was one of the largest and most destructive earthquakes in recent history.
It killed 2,500 people and left at least 300,000 homeless.
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