Morocco’s interior ministry reported on Saturday that a massive 6.8 magnitude earthquake slammed the nation on Friday, leaving roughly 300 people dead and 153 wounded.
Residents of large cities fled their houses as a result of the earthquake, which caused several structures to be demolished. Furthermore, a local official claimed that the majority of fatalities occurred in remote mountainous locations.
According to Montasir Itri, a resident of the mountain town of Asni close to the epicenter, “Our neighbors are under the rubble and people are working hard to rescue them using available means in the village.
The ministry released a statement in which it stated that 296 people had died as a result of the earthquake in the provinces and municipalities of al-Haouz, Marrakesh, Ouarzazate, Azilal, Chichaoua, and Taroudant. It also stated that 153 people had been wounded and were being treated in hospitals.
Marrakech, where multiple structures, including a UNESCO World Heritage site, fell in the old city, is the closest major city to the epicenter.
Additionally, according to global internet watchdog NetBlocks, Marrakesh had internet connectivity issues as a result of localized power outages.
According to the USGS, “the population in this region lives in structures that are highly vulnerable to earthquake shaking.”
The epicenter of the earthquake, which occurred at a relatively shallow depth of 18.5 km (11.5 miles), was just after 11 p.m. local time (2200 GMT) and was located around 72 km (44 miles) southwest of Marrakesh and 56 kilometers west of the Atlas Mountain hamlet of Oukaimeden.
