Powerful earthquake of magnitude 6.8 struck Morocco 296 people killed
A strong earthquake of magnitude 6.8 has struck central Morocco, killing at least 296 people, the country's interior ministry says.
Rabat: A strong earthquake of magnitude 6.8 has struck central Morocco, killing at least 296 people, the country’s interior ministry says.
According to the US Geological Survey, the epicentre was in the High Atlas Mountains, 71 km south-west of Marrakesh, at a depth of 18.5 km, the BBC reported.
The quake struck at 11.11 p.m. There was a 4.9 aftershock 19 minutes later. and videos on social media showed people fleeing on the roads, damaged buildings and rubble-strewn streets.
The tremors were also reportedly felt in the capital Rabat, some 350 km away from the epicentre, as well as the cities of Casablanca and Essaouira.
A strong earthquake of magnitude 6.8 has struck central Morocco, killing at least 296 people, the country’s interior ministry says.
The epicentre was in the High Atlas Mountains, 71km (44 miles) south-west of Marrakesh, at a depth of 18.5km, the US Geological Survey said.
People died in Marrakesh and several areas to the south, the ministry said.
“According to a provisional report, the earthquake killed 296 people in the provinces and municipalities of al-Haouz, Marrakesh, Ouarzazate, Azilal, Chichaoua and Taroudant,” the statement said, adding that 153 people were injured and hospitalised.
Unverified video clips on X (formerly Twitter) show damaged buildings, other buildings shaking and rubble-strewn streets. People are seen fleeing in alarm and some walking through clouds of dust.
Some buildings in Marrakesh’s old city have collapsed, one resident told the Reuters news agency. Several clips on X show buildings crashing down, but the BBC has not identified where they were.
Locals are said to have decided to stay outside their homes in case the city is rocked by powerful aftershocks.
Another man in the historic city described feeling a “violent tremor” and seeing “buildings moving”.
“People were all in shock and panic. The children were crying and the parents were distraught,” Abdelhak El Amrani told the AFP agency.
He said power and phone lines were down for ten minutes.
