Devastating 6.8 Earthquake Rocks Morocco
A powerful 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit Morocco late Friday night, leaving chaos, destruction, and death in its wake. At least 296 people have died, and 153 are injured, officials say, as rescue efforts race against time.
Epicentre Near Marrakech Causes Havoc
The quake struck just after 10pm local time, with its epicentre in the Atlas Mountains, about 75km from Marrakech, Morocco’s fourth-largest city. The hardest-hit areas lie in the remote south of Marrakech, where many buildings have crumbled.
Videos flooding social media show panicked residents fleeing collapsing buildings while roads are jammed or blocked by landslides, slowing rescue workers desperately trying to reach survivors.
Historic Landmarks and Towns in Ruins
Parts of Marrakech’s famous red city walls, a UNESCO World Heritage site, have collapsed. The old Medina was badly damaged, with walls buckled and many buildings left in ruins.
Abderrahim Ait Daoud, head of a nearby town, revealed several homes have fallen, with power cuts and debris-strewn roads adding to the nightmare.
Rare But Deadly Quake Shakes Region
Earthquakes of this size are rare but not unheard of here. The last major quake in Morocco was in 2004, killing over 600. This one is notable for being the first of such strength in 120 years in that area.
“Oblique-reverse faulting” in the Atlas Mountains caused the quake, with its shallow 18.5km depth making the damage worse,
said the US Geological Survey.
Neighbouring Algeria has suffered similarly devastating quakes, such as the 7.3 magnitude El Asnam quake in 1980 which leveled towns and killed thousands.
Morocco now faces a huge rescue and recovery operation as more details emerge. Officials warn casualty figures could rise as access improves to isolated communities.
