At least, 1037 people died in a powerful earthquake that struck Morocco on Friday night, causing widespread damage and panic in Marrakech, a tourist Mecca, and several other cities, according to a new official report.
The Moroccan Centre for Scientific and Technical Research (CNRST) said the epicentre of the quake, recorded at 23:11 local time (22:11 GMT), was located in the province of Al-Haouz, south-west of the city of Marrakech, a popular destination for foreign tourists.
The earthquake killed 820 people and injured 672, 205 of them seriously, the Ministry of the Interior said in a statement. The previous toll was 632 dead and 329 injured.
This is the most powerful earthquake to hit the kingdom to date. According to images reproduced by the media and on social networks and witnesses, the earthquake caused extensive damage in several towns. Images showed hundreds of people flocking to the city’s iconic square to spend the night for fear of aftershocks. Some had blankets, others were sleeping on the ground.
In addition to Marrakech, the tremor was felt in Rabat, Casablanca, Agadir and Essaouira, causing panic among the population. Many people took to the streets of these cities, fearing that their homes would collapse, according to images posted on social networks.
French President Emmanuel Macron said he was “shocked” by the events and offered France’s help in a message on X (formerly known as Twitter). Other countries that sent their condolences included Germany, Spain, Russia, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.
On 24 February 2004, an earthquake measuring 6.4 on the Richter scale shook the province of AlH-oceima, 400 kilometres north-east of Rabat, killing 628 people. And on 29 February 1960, a magnitude 5.7 earthquake destroyed Agadir, on the country’s west coast, killing nearly 15,000 people – a third of the city’s population.
