More than 600 people were killed and over 300 injured after an earthquake of magnitude 6.8 shook Morocco on Friday. The epicentre of the earthquake was the High Atlas mountain, located 72 kilometres southwest of the city of Marrakesh. The first shock came at 11:11 pm and was followed by an aftershock of 4.9 magnitude 19 minutes later, according to the United States Geological Survey.
The tremors were also felt in the coastal cities of Rabat, Casablanca and Essaouira. Videos that have emerged on social media show people screaming and evacuating restaurants, homes, other buildings in Marrakesh. This was Morocco’s deadliest earthquake in 19 years. An earthquake in 2004 near Al Hoceima in the northern Rif mountains had resulted in over 600 deaths.
Residents also narrated accounts of some buildings collapsing in Marrakesh, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Visuals showed part of a minaret collapsed on the famous Jemaa el-Fna square. Moroccan media reported that the 12th-century Koutoubia Mosque in Marrakesh, one of the city’s most famed landmarks, has suffered damage. There is also damage to parts of the famous red walls that surround the old city in Marrakesh.
Ahead of the G20 Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said "whole world is with Morocco" as the powerful earthquake killed at least 632 people. "Whole world is with Morocco in this hour of grief, we are ready to provide all possible help," said PM Modi on X (formerly Twitter).
Source : PTI
During the inaugural G20 Summit address, PM Narendra Modi said, "Before we start the proceedings of G20, I want to express my condolences over the loss of lives due to an earthquake in Morocco. We pray that all injured recover at the earliest. India is ready to offer all possible assistance to Morocco in this difficult time."
Residents of Marrakech, the nearest big city to the epicentre, said some buildings had collapsed in the old city, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and local television showed pictures of a fallen mosque minaret with rubble lying on smashed cars. The Interior Ministry said the number constituted a preliminary death toll and that 329 people had been injured. A local official said most deaths were in mountain areas that were hard to reach.
Morocco's geophysical centre said the quake struck in the Ighil area of the High Atlas with a magnitude of 7.2. The U.S. Geological Survey put the quake's magnitude at 6.8 and said it was at a relatively shallow depth of 18.5 km (11.5 miles). Ighil, a mountainous area with small farming villages, is about 70 km (40 miles) southwest of Marrakech.
Some videos shared on social media appeared to show at least one building collapsing and rubble in the streets. Others showed people running out of a shopping centre, restaurants and apartment buildings and congregating outside. People in Rabat, about 350 Km north of Ighil, and in the coastal town of Imsouane, about 180 km to its west, also fled their homes, fearing a stronger quake, according to reports.
In Marrakech, some houses in the tightly packed old city have collapsed, and people have been working by hand to remove debris while they wait for heavy equipment. Footage of the mediaeval city wall showed big cracks in one section, and parts that had fallen, with rubble lying on the streets. People were frightened and were staying outside in case of another quake, residents told media on Saturday.