A devastating earthquake struck Morocco late on a Friday night, resulting in a tragic loss of at least 296 lives, according to the country’s Interior Ministry. The quake wreaked havoc, with Moroccans sharing videos depicting buildings reduced to debris and parts of Marrakech’s iconic red walls, a UNESCO World Heritage site, suffering damage.
Disturbing footage from tourists and locals showed people hurriedly evacuating restaurants in Marrakech amidst blaring club music, capturing the chaos that unfolded. The US Geological Survey initially reported the earthquake as a magnitude 6.8 at 11:11 pm, with prolonged shaking. Morocco’s National Seismic Monitoring and Alert Network, however, measured it as a 7 on the Richter scale. A 4.9 magnitude aftershock occurred 19 minutes later.
While earthquakes are relatively uncommon in North Africa, a significant 5.8 magnitude tremor caused substantial casualties near Agadir in 1960. The epicenter of this recent quake was situated high in the Atlas Mountains, approximately 70 kilometers south of Marrakech, near the renowned Toubkal peak and the Oukaimeden ski resort. Discrepancies in depth measurements arose, with the USGS placing it 18 kilometers below the Earth’s surface and Morocco’s seismic agency estimating it at 8 kilometers deep.
The quake’s impact extended as far as Portugal and Algeria, as reported by their respective agencies responsible for monitoring seismic activity and emergency responses.
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