According to the Moroccan Interior Ministry and State TV, a significant earthquake in south-west Morocco caused at least 2000+ fatalities and 3000+ injuries. Fear grows over more victims.
Morocco had a powerful earthquake that claimed at least 2000 lives. Early in the morning, the interior ministry of the nation in northwest Africa made this announcement. 153 injuries have also been recorded thus far.
The magnitude 6.8 earthquake's epicentre was located at a depth of 18.5 kilometres in the sparsely inhabited Atlas Mountains, some 72 kilometres southwest of Marrakech, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The epicentre was supposed to be northeast of Marrakech at first. The Helmholtz Centre Potsdam's geophone measured the earthquake's magnitude as 6.9.
The last time such a powerful earthquake was reported in Morocco was a century ago. North Africa has very few earthquakes. A 5.8 magnitude earthquake that occurred close to Agadir in 1960, according to the network Al Arabiya, claimed thousands of lives.
Evidently, there are still a lot of casualties behind the debris.
The majority of the victims, according to the local authorities, are in the remote and hilly area. Montasir Itri, a resident of the nearby mountain town of Asni, stated, "Our neighbours are lying under the rubble of their houses and we are trying to save them with the means available." There are several damaged homes.
According to eyewitness reports, the earthquake caused panic among many residents in Marrakech, Agadir and other cities. As the newspaper "Le Matin" reported, the quake was also felt in Rabat and Casablanca.
Residents of the city of Marrakesh report collapsed buildings in the historic old town, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. People are digging in the rubble with their bare hands and waiting for heavy equipment, says resident Id Waaziz Hassan.