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  • What we know about the Morocco earthquake | CNN

    What we know about the Morocco earthquake | CNN

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    CNN
     — 

    More than 2,000 people have died after a powerful earthquake struck the North African country of Morocco on Friday night. Thousands have been injured.

    The quake is the strongest to hit the nation’s center in more than a century, and its epicenter was not far from popular tourist and economic hub Marrakech.

    Here’s what we know so far.

    When and where did the quake hit?

    The earthquake struck at around 11:11 p.m. local time (6.11 p.m ET). Its epicenter was located in the High Atlas mountain range, about 72 kilometers (44.7 miles) southwest of Marrakech, a city of about 840,000 people.

    But its impact was felt as far north as Casablanca, as this map shows.

    The quake had a magnitude of 6.8, meaning it is classed as “strong.” It also struck at a relatively shallow depth, making it more destructive.

    Earthquakes of this size in the region are uncommon, according to the US Geological Survey, but not unexpected. It noted that nine quakes with a magnitude of 5 or higher have hit the area since 1900, but none of them have had a magnitude higher than 6.

    The earthquake is Morocco’s deadliest since 1960 when a quake killed more than 12,000 people.

    More than 300,000 people have been affected in Marrakech and surrounding areas, according to the WHO. Historic sites have been damaged, but the hardest-hit areas are those nearest to the Atlas Mountains.

    Eyewitnesses in the foothills of the mountains said some towns are completely destroyed, with almost all the homes in an area of the village of Asni damaged.

    Hundreds have died in the province of Al Haouz and nearly 200 perished in the southwestern Moroccan city of Taroudant.

    The precise scale of the quake is still emerging.

    Emergency workers were deployed to affected regions, despite some roads being damaged or blocked by debris. Some remote villages on the foothills of the mountain have been hard to access.

    Mohammed, 50, from the town of Ouirgane, lost four family members in the quake. “I managed to get out safely with my two children but lost the rest. My house is gone.” he said.

    Rescue operations are still ongoing. “We are out in the streets with authorities as they try to pull the dead from the rubble. Many many people were transported to hospital in front of me. We are hoping for miracles from the rubble” he said.

    In Marrakech some residents spent the night in the streets, afraid to return to their homes. Others fled the city altogether. There have been warning of aftershocks.

    Morocco’s government said it had activated all available resources to tackle the quake and urged people to “avoid panic.”

    King Mohammed VI of Morocco ordered that a relief commission be set up to distribute aid to survivors, including orphans and people who lost their homes in the disaster.

    People work next to damage in the historic city of Marrakech following the quake.

    Many world leaders have expressed their commiserations, as well as offered support to Morocco.

    Turkey, which was hit by a devastating earthquake that killed tens of thousands earlier this year, said it was ready to send 265 personnel and 1,000 tents to Morocco to support aid efforts.

    Algeria, which severed diplomatic ties with Morocco in 2021 and closed its airspace to all planes registered in Morocco, said it would reopen its airspace for humanitarian aid and medical flights going to and from the Arab nation.

    The United Nations, US President Joe Biden and French President Emmanuel Macron have also said they are ready to provide assistance.

    Many other world leaders, including Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the G20, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin, have sent their condolences.

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  • Powerful earthquake strikes Morocco, killing 300 and damaging historic Marrakech | CNN

    Powerful earthquake strikes Morocco, killing 300 and damaging historic Marrakech | CNN

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    CNN
     — 

    A powerful 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck Morocco Friday night, killing nearly 300 people and damaging buildings in the historic city of Marrakech in what the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said was the strongest tremor to hit that part of the North African nation in more than a century.

    The quake struck in Morocco’s High Atlas mountain range shortly after 11 p.m. local time at the relatively shallow depth of 18.5 kilometers (11.4 miles), USGS said, with the epicenter located about 72 kilometers (44.7 miles) southwest of Marrakech, a city of some 840,000 people and a popular tourist destination.

    At least 296 people were killed, and 153 others were wounded, Morocco’s Interior Ministry said Saturday.

    Many Moroccans spent the night on the streets in multiple cities fearful of aftershocks as a desperate mission to locate those trapped in the rubble got underway. Health authorities also called on people to donate blood to help victims.

    Most deaths occurred in mountain areas that were hard to reach, authorities said, and rescue teams were having difficulties reaching the worst affected areas after roads were damaged, state-run TV Al Aoula reported.

    The Royal Moroccan Armed Forces warned that residents to pay close attention to follow up tremors.

    “We remind you of the need to exercise caution and take safety measures due to the risk of aftershocks,” the military wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.

    The USGS said Friday night’s quake was unusually strong for that part of Morocco.

    “Earthquakes of this size in the region are uncommon, but not unexpected. Since 1900, there have been no earthquakes M6 (magnitude 6) and larger within 500 km of this earthquake, and only 9 M5 (magnitude 5) and larger earthquakes,” USGS said.

    The US body predicted that “significant damage is likely and the disaster is potentially widespread”, noting that many people in the area reside in structures that are “highly vulnerable to earthquake shaking”.

    Al-Aoula television on Saturday showed multiple buildings collapsed near the epicenter and reported that thousands of people had fled their homes after the country’s National Institute of Geophysics warned of aftershocks.

    Most houses in the mountain village of Asni near the epicenter were damaged, Montasir Itri, a local resident, told Reuters.

    “Our neighbours are under the rubble and people are working hard to rescue them using available means in the village,” he said.

    Tremors were also felt further west near Taroudant, where a resident said he had fled his home and there had been aftershocks following the initial quake, according to Reuters.

    “The earth shook for about 20 seconds. Doors opened and shut by themselves as I rushed downstairs from the second floor,” teacher Hamid Afkar told Reuters.

    In the old city of Marrakech, a UNESCO World Heritage site, some houses have collapsed and people were moving debris by hand while they waited for heavy equipment, local resident Id Waaziz Hassan told Reuters news agency.

    Another Marrakech resident, Brahim Himmi, told Reuters he saw ambulances coming out of the old town and that many building facades were damaged. He said people were frightened and were staying outside in case of another quake.

    “The chandelier fell from the ceiling and I ran out. I’m still in the road with my children and we’re scared,” Houda Hafsi, a 43-year-old Marrakech resident, told Reuters.

    A former imperial city with a history that dates back nearly 1,000 years, Marrakech is tightly packed with medieval-era palaces, mosques, gardens and bustling markets. Its old city center is surrounded by red earth walls and filled with buildings constructed in red sandstone, which gave the city its nickname the “red city.”

    The walls were first laid out in the early 12th century and some of the ramparts were damaged in the quake, Al Aoula TV reported.

    Before the Covid pandemic, Marrakech drew nearly three million tourists in 2019.

    In addition to its rich culture and history, Marrakech is also Mocorro’s four largest city and a major economic center.

    Shaking was also felt in the capital Rabat, some 350km north of of the High Atlas mountains, Reuters said citing eyewitnesses.

    Reuters contributed to this report.

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  • Earthquake In Morocco Kills At Least 296 People, Government Reports

    Earthquake In Morocco Kills At Least 296 People, Government Reports

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    RABAT, Morocco (AP) — A powerful earthquake that struck Morocco late Friday night killed at least 296 people, the country’s Interior Ministry said.

    Moroccans posted videos showing buildings reduced to rubble and dust and parts of the famous red walls that surround the old city in historic Marrakech, a UNESCO World Heritage site, damaged. Tourists and others posted videos of people screaming and evacuating restaurants in the city as throbbing club music played.

    The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake had a preliminary magnitude of 6.8 when it hit at 11:11 p.m. (2211 GMT), 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.

    THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier story follows below.

    RABAT, Morocco (AP) — A powerful earthquake struck Morocco late Friday, damaging buildings in major cities and sending panicked people pouring into streets and alleyways from the capital Rabat to Marrakech, the county’s most visited tourist destination.

    The quake damaged buildings and dozens were feared dead, local media said. There was no official confirmation for any dead or injured.

    Moroccans posted videos showing buildings reduced to rubble and dust and parts of the famous red walls that surround the old city in historic Marrakech, a UNESCO World Heritage site, damaged. Tourists and others posted videos of people screaming and evacuating restaurants in the city as throbbing club music played.

    Reports on damage and any casualties often take time to filter in after many earthquakes, particularly those that hit in the middle of the night.

    Rather than return to concrete buildings, men, women and children stayed out in the streets worried about aftershocks and other reverberations that could cause their homes to sway.

    The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake had a preliminary magnitude of 6.8 when it hit at 11:11 p.m. (2211 GMT), 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.

    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.

    The epicenter of Friday’s tremor was high in the Atlas Mountains roughly 70 kilometers (43.5 miles) south of Marrakech. It was also near Toubkal, the highest peak in North Africa and Oukaimeden, a popular Moroccan ski resort.

    The USGS said the epicenter was 18 kilometers (11 miles) below the Earth’s surface, while Morocco’s seismic agency put it at 8 kilometers (5 miles) down.

    Beyond reports on the quake’s magnitude, neither Moroccan officials nor MAP, Morocco’s official news agency, had published any information about casualties or damages as of early Saturday. Government officials typically use the agency to communicate information about important matters.

    The quake was felt as far away as Portugal and Algeria, according to the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere and Algeria’s Civil Defense agency, which oversees emergency response.

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