RABAT – A 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit Morocco’s High Atlas mountains Friday night, leaving at least 630 people dead and dozens injured.
The Interior Ministry of Morocco in a statement aid that 153 people were injured with some of them are in critical condition at different hospitals.
Officials said that most of the deaths occurred in mountain areas that were hard to reach, adding that several buildings and houses were damaged in the powerful earthquake.
The quake had hit the provinces of Al Haouz, Ouarzazate, Marrakech, Azilal, Chichaoua and Taroudant around 11pm local time, the officials said.
Morocco’s geophysical centre said the earthquake hit the Ighil area of the High Atlas with a magnitude of 7.2. The US Geological Survey said the magnitude was 6.8 and it occurred at depth of 18.5 km (11.5 miles).
Reports said most damages were reported in Marrakech, the nearest big city to the epicentre, where some buildings had collapsed.
Pan-Arab al-Arabiya news channel reported that five people were killed from one family, citing unnamed local sources.
The earthquake is Morocco’s deadliest since a 2004 when it hit the northern Rif mountains, killing over 600 people.
Videos and images circulating on social media shows rubble of buildings scattered on roads and cars are damaged.
Horrific moment of collapse caught on security camera💔 #Morocco #earthquake #moroccoearthquake #deprem #زلزال #زلزال_المغرب #fas #fas_depremi #morocco #maroc #earthquake pic.twitter.com/cpS0FtBs6L
— Muhammad Arif Khan (@M_Arif61) September 9, 2023
Earthquake Morocco Richter 6.8#marrakech #agadir #casablanca #fes#مراكش #فاس #أغادير #الدار_البيضاء#moroccoearthquake #morocco #earthquakemorocco #earthquake#زلزال_المغرب #هزة_أرضية pic.twitter.com/EXBcv4rw17
— Jalal (@jalaloni) September 8, 2023
