At least 296 dead after 6.8 – magnitude earthquake strikes Morocco
By Alex Lo and Dennis Romero
A 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck Morocco late Friday night, killing at least 296 people in three provinces, damaging buildings and historic sites and blocking roads.
Morocco’s Interior Ministry said Saturday morning that the nearly 300 people had been killed in the provinces of Al Haouz, Marrakesh and Ouarzazate.
An additional 153 injured people were sent to hospitals for treatment. The ministry wrote that most damage occurred outside of cities and towns.
The powerful earthquake damaged buildings in major cities and sent panicked people pouring into streets and alleyways from the capital Rabat to Marrakech, the county’s most visited tourist destination and a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Videos posted online showing buildings reduced to rubble and dust, and parts of the famous red walls that surround the old city in Marrakech damaged. Tourists and others posted videos of people screaming and evacuating restaurants in the city as throbbing club music played.
In this screen grab taken from video, debris on a damaged car on Saturday after an earthquake in Marrakech, Morocco, late Friday.
The U.S. Embassy in Morocco said it’s unaware of any U.S. citizens affected, but said it has told Americans in the country to use caution for 24 hours following the temblor in case strong aftershocks strike the region.
“We are aware of reports that a 6.8 magnitude earthquake has struck Morocco outside of Marrakesh and are deeply saddened by the loss of life,” the embassy said in a statement. “We extend our condolences to those affected by the earthquake.”
The USGS said the quake had a preliminary magnitude of 6.8 when it hit at 11:11 p.m., with shaking that lasted several seconds. Morocco’s National Seismic Monitoring and Alert Network measured it at 7 on the Richter scale. The U.S. agency reported a magnitude-4.9 aftershock hit 19 minutes later.
People take shelter and check for news on their mobile phones after an earthquake in Rabat, Morocco, on Friday.
Variations in early measurements are common, although either reading would be Morocco’s strongest in years. Though earthquakes are relatively rare in North Africa, a magnitude 5.8 tremor struck near Agadir and caused thousands of deaths in 1960.
“Earthquakes are not common in the area, but [this was] not unexpected,” said U.S. Geological Survey geophysicist Anna Andreyev, who said the quake is the largest since 1900.
She added, “Based on the depth and the magnitude, we can expect significant damage.”
The USGS said the epicenter was in the Moroccan High Atlas Mountain range, about 46 miles southeast of Marrakech. It was also near Toubkal, the highest peak in North Africa and Oukaimeden, a popular Moroccan ski resort.
The head of a town near the earthquake’s epicenter told Moroccan news site 2M that several homes in nearby towns had partly or totally collapsed, and electricity and roads were cut off in some places.
Abderrahim Ait Daoud, head of the town of Talat N’Yaaqoub, said authorities are working to clear roads in Al Haouz Province to allow passage for ambulances and aid to populations affected, but said large distances between mountain villages mean it will take time to learn the extent of the damage.
Local media reported that roads leading to the mountain region around the epicenter were jammed with vehicles and blocked with collapsed rocks, slowing rescue efforts.
Associated Press
