Over 1,000 individuals have tragically lost their lives and hundreds are injured due to a severe earthquake in Morocco. This catastrophe is marked as the deadliest in over 60 years for the country. Remote mountain villages have been hit hard, their houses reduced to rubble which the rescue teams frantically sift through, seeking survivors.
The denouement of the earthquake occurred late Friday night, in the High Atlas mountains of Morocco. The repercussions were seen in the ancient city of Marrakech, which is closest to the epicenter of the incident. Its historic structures bore considerable damage. However, the High Atlas mountains bore the brunt of this disaster.
According to the Interior Ministry, an earthquake of 6.8 magnitude claimed the lives of 1,037 people and injured another 672. The U.S. Geological Survey pinpointed the epicentre of the quake approximately 72 km (45 miles) southwest of Marrakech.
Rescue teams in the nearby village of Amizmiz were seen manually sifting through the debris.
Mohamed Azaw, a survivor of the quake, described a harrowing experience. “As the earth vibrated and the house started tilting, I managed to evacuate my children. However, my neighbours did not have the same luck,” he explained. Tragically, no one was found alive in that household. The dad and son’s bodies were discovered, but the search is ongoing for the mother and the woman.
A team of approximately 20 individuals, comprised of soldiers and firefighters, were seen standing amidst the ruins of a home in Amizmiz, engaging in the removal of debris and remnants of household furniture protruding from the collapsed concrete floors.
The earthquake struck the High Atlas mountain range approximately at 2200 GMT (11 p.m.). Reports from Spanish television station, RTVE, indicates that the quake’s tremors were sensed as far as Huelva and Jaen in Andalusia, located in southern Spain.
Live street camera videos from Marrakech captured the commencement of the earthquake. The men could be seen rising abruptly and scanning their surroundings. Some men sought refuge in a nearby alleyway, but soon evacuated the area amidst falling debris and dust.
In Marrakech, where the death of 13 individuals has been confirmed, residents opted to spend the night outdoors due to fear of aftershocks and potential damage to their residences.
In Marrakech’s old city, a UNESCO World Heritage site, a mosque minaret at Jemaa al-Fna Square collapsed.
Individuals with injuries flock to Marrakech from surrounding regions seeking medical assistance.
State television broadcast footage showing dozens of fallen homes at the foot of a mountain in the Moulay Ibrahim area, situated approximately 40 km (25 miles) south of Marrakech. The images depicted locals digging graves while groups of women observed from the street.
Montasir Itri, a resident from the village of Asni close to the epicenter, reported widespread house damage.
“The rescue of trapped neighbors is currently underway through the utilization of available resources in the village,” he explained.
To the west near Taroudant, a teacher termed Hamid Afkar explained his experience. He mentioned he had to abandon his house due to recurring aftershocks.
“There was a period of intense tremor, lasting about 20 seconds. As I swiftly descended from the second floor, doors were spontaneously swinging open and shut,” he recounted.
In Marrakech, civilians have reported scenes of urgency as they struggled to find safety.
Jaouhari Mohamed, a resident of the old city, stated, “I’m unable to sleep in my house owing to the shock, and the old town’s architecture compounds the issue.”
Moroccan national TV showcased the deployment of military forces to aid in the rescue operations.
This represents the most devastating earthquake for Morocco since 1960. The U.S. Geological Survey confirms the earthquake from 1960 was responsible for an estimated 12,000 deaths. With a depth of 18.5 km, experts have deemed this to be an extraordinarily intense tremor for the region.
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