Rescue workers are searching through debris in isolated mountainous locations for casualties after the deadliest of Morocco earthquake in decades rocked central Morocco, killing more than 1,000 people.
According to the United States Geological Survey, the 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck Morocco’s High Atlas mountain range on Friday just after 11 p.m. local time at a depth of 18.5 kilometers (11.4 miles), which is relatively shallow. The epicenter was located about 72 kilometers (44.7 miles) southwest of Marrakech, a city of about 840,000 people and a well-liked tourist destination.
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Current Impact of the Morocco Earthquake
Fatima, 50, reported to CNN that the earthquake had completely damaged her home in the highland community of Asni. “I hardly had time to take the children and flee before I noticed my house crumbling in front of my eyes. Two bodies are under the wreckage of the neighbor’s destroyed home, the woman reported.
Mohammed, 50, a resident of Ouirgane, a neighboring hamlet, lost four family members in the earthquake. “I was able to escape safely with my two kids, but I lost the others. My home is lost,” he declared.
There are still rescue efforts being made. “We are on the streets helping the police remove the bodies from the wreckage. In front of me, numerous people were being taken to the hospital. From the ruins, we are looking for miracles, he remarked.
The nation has not experienced a catastrophe of this magnitude since a 6.3-magnitude earthquake rocked the coastal city of Al Hoceima in 2004 and left about 630 people dead. At least 12,000 people died in the Morocco earthquake’s biggest quake in modern times, which occurred in 1960 close to the western city of Agadir.
In anticipation of aftershocks, many Moroccans spent Friday night walking the streets. Health officials also urged blood donations to aid the victims.
“Though rare, earthquakes of this size are not atypical in the area. According to the USGS, there have only been nine M5 (magnitude 5) or greater earthquakes and no M6 (magnitude 6) or larger earthquakes within 500 km of this earthquake since 1900.
Rescue Remote Mountainous Areas Hit Hardest by the Moroccan Earthquake
According to the US organization, “significant damage is likely” and “the disaster is potentially widespread,” and many locals live in homes that are “highly vulnerable to Morocco Earthquake shaking.”
After the nation’s National Institute of Geophysics issued a warning about aftershocks, Al Aoula carried a video of numerous collapsed structures near the earthquake’s epicenter on Saturday and stated that thousands of residents had left their houses.
Authorities claimed that the majority of fatalities happened in remote mountainous locations around the epicenter that were difficult to access and that rescue crews were having trouble getting to the worst-affected areas because of damaged roads.
Residents were advised by the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces to pay particular attention to any subsequent shocks.
The military posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, “We remind you of the need to exercise caution and take safety measures due to the risk of aftershocks.”
The quake on Friday night, according to the USGS, was exceptionally strong for that region of Morocco.
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