Last Friday at 11:11 PM (local time), Morocco was shaken by a shocking earthquake of magnitude 6.8 on the Richter scale that has left the balance of 2,862 dead and 2,562 injured, according to the latest provisional report of the authorities.
The figures, which are advancing as the hours pass, were published by the Moroccan Ministry of the Interior in a preliminary report. Al Hauz, Marrakech, Ouarzazat, Azilal, Chichaoua and Tarudant were the areas most affected by the earthquake that was centered in Ighil, 50 miles southwest of Marrakech.
King Mohammed VI has mobilized army search and rescue teams to try to rescue as many people as possible. They are using helicopters and drones, among other resources.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake was more than 11 miles deep underground in an area where earthquakes are rare.
On platform X (formerly Twitter) you can see various videos of unverified accounts that have published some moments of the earthquake and its consequences. You see buildings falling, rubble everywhere and frightened people crowding the streets.
El potente terremoto provoca el colapso y daños en varias edificaciones en Marrakech, Marruecos. pic.twitter.com/zMYv2MtHab
— Wall Street Wolverine (@wallstwolverine) September 8, 2023
According to Reuters, in the village of Asni, near the epicenter, most houses collapsed.
A villager said: "Our neighbours are under the rubble and people are working hard to rescue them using available means in the village."
The Interior Ministry in its preliminary report called for calm and announced that security and civil protection forces have been deployed from all prefectures of the affected provinces.
Moroccan state television also reported that the powerful earthquake damaged parts of Marrakech's historic walls, built in adobe and red clay.
Likewise, some buildings in the historic center of the city, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, would also have collapsed during the earthquake.
The U.S. Embassy in Morocco expressed its condolences to the families of the victims and clarified that so far they have no information about injured or deceased U.S. citizens.
