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HomeLatestAbout 300 people were killed in 6.8 magnitude earthquake in Morocco.

About 300 people were killed in 6.8 magnitude earthquake in Morocco.

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A powerful 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit Morocco on Friday night, killing nearly 300 people and injuring 153, the country’s interior ministry said on Saturday.

Many buildings were destroyed during the earthquake, which forced the residents of big cities to come out of their homes. Additionally, a local official said most of the deaths occurred in hilly areas that were difficult to reach.

“Our neighbors are under the rubble and people are working hard to save them using the resources available in the village,” said Montasar Atri, a resident of Asni, a mountain village near the epicenter.

“According to a provisional report, the earthquake killed 296 people in the provinces and municipalities of Alhouz, Morocco, Ouarzazate, Azilal, Chichau and Taroudant,” the ministry said in a statement, adding that 153 people were injured. And entered the hospital.

The nearest major city to the epicenter is Marrakech, where several buildings in the old city — including a UNESCO World Heritage Site — collapsed.

Additionally, internet connectivity in Morocco has been disrupted due to power outages in the region, according to global internet monitor NetBlocks.

“The region’s population lives in structures that are extremely vulnerable to earthquakes,” the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.

The USGS said: “The epicenter was at a relatively shallow depth of 18.5 km (11.5 mi) and was located about 72 km (44 mi) southwest of Morocco and 56 km west of the Atlas Mountain town of Okameden at 11 a.m. local time. came after the time. time (2200 GMT).”

Being located between the African and Eurasian plates, Morocco experiences frequent earthquakes in its northern region.

‘Buildings Move’
“We felt a very violent earthquake, and I realized it was an earthquake,” Abdelhak El Amrani, 33, told JEE News by telephone in Marrakech.

“I could see buildings moving. We don’t necessarily have anxiety for this type of situation. Then I went outside and there were so many people. People were all in shock and fear. Children were crying. And parents. worried.”

“The power went out for 10 minutes, and so did the (telephone) network, but then it came back on. Everyone decided to stay out,” he added.

Frenchman Michel Bizet, 43, who owns three traditional riads in Marrakech’s old city, told JEE News he was in bed when the quake struck.

“I thought my bed was going to fly. I went out into the street half-naked and immediately went to see my rides. It was total chaos, a real disaster, madness,” he said.

A video circulating on social media showed a part of a minaret collapsing at the historic city’s famous Jama’at al-Fina Square, injuring two people.

Faisal Badour, another resident of Morocco, told JEE News that he was driving when the earthquake struck.

“I stopped and realized what a disaster it was. It was very serious, like a river bursting its banks. The screaming and crying was unbearable,” he said.

The interior ministry said authorities had “mobilized all necessary resources to intervene and assist the affected areas”.

Moroccan hospitals reportedly saw a “massive influx” of wounded.

Morocco’s regional blood transfusion center has appealed to residents to donate blood for the injured.

In the town of Al-Hawz, near the epicenter, a family was trapped in the rubble after their house collapsed, according to local media.

Significant damage likely

Its tremors were also felt in the coastal cities of Rabat, Casablanca and Essaouira.

“We heard screams when the earthquake hit,” a resident of Essaouira, 200 kilometers west of Marrakech, told JEE News.

“People are in squares, in cafes, preferring to sleep outside. Pieces of the facade have fallen.”

The USGS’s PAGER system, which provides early assessments of the impact of earthquakes, issued an orange alert for economic losses, which can predict significant damage.

According to the US government agency, past incidents with this alert level have required a regional or national level response.

“The region’s population lives in structures that are highly vulnerable to earthquake shocks,” the USGS said.

According to Moroccan media, it was the most powerful earthquake ever to hit the country.

The quake was also felt in neighboring Algeria, where the Algerian Civil Defense said there was no loss of life or property.

In 2004, at least 628 people were killed and 926 injured in the Al Hoceima earthquake in northeastern Morocco.

In 1980, the 7.3-magnitude El Asnam earthquake in neighboring Algeria was one of the largest and most destructive earthquakes in recent history.

It killed 2,500 people and displaced at least 300,000.

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