More than 1,000 people have been killed in Morocco after a powerful earthquake hit several towns and cities, the interior ministry told state TV, adding that more than 1,200 have been injured. A search for survivors continues.
A local official said most deaths were in mountainous areas that were hard to reach.
Scientists said the earthquake, which was centred in Ighil, measured at least 6.8 magnitude, though some readings have it higher. It was said to be a relatively shallow earthquake – usually the most destructive sort.
In Marrakech, some buildings in the old city, a Unesco world heritage site, have been damaged or destroyed.
Several world leaders, including Emmanuel Macron, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Narendra Modi and Olaf Scholz, have sent messages of support.
Sociologist Amro Ali, who lives in the northern port city of Casablanca almost 270 miles from Ighil, described how the force of the quake jolted his home.
Sociologist Amro Ali, who lives in the northern port city of Casablanca almost 270 miles from Ighil, described how the force of the quake jolted his home.
"My wife identified what was happening. As she has a little more experience with earthquakes, she ran and hid under the table, so I did the same. I also went to shut off the gas. Of course, it was frightening. The one reassuring part was that nothing was falling, but still it was completely disorienting.
Then we opened the front doors and everyone was running out trying to evacuate, people were shouting and screaming. Everything was mayhem, people ran out in whatever clothes they were wearing and went down to the street. Then they began to talk about aftershocks.
By the following day, Ali described a sense of eerie calm amid growing concern for the situation in remote villages.
These are the ones likely to be worst affected because of the lower quality construction materials used and also the slow response of the emergency services to make it to these rugged areas".
0 Comments