At least 820 people have been killed and numerous places have been damaged by a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 that occurred in central Morocco.

According to the US Geological Survey, the epicenter occurred in the High Atlas Mountains, 71 kilometers (44 miles) south-west of Marrakesh, at a depth of 18.5 kilometers.

It occurred at 23:11 local time, and 19 minutes later, a 4.9 aftershock occurred.

According to the country’s interior ministry, fatalities occurred in Marrakesh and a number of southern locales.

earthquake

It’s thought that many of the victims are in far-off places.

More than 600 people were hurt, according to the interior ministry, and deaths were reported. In the provinces and towns of al-Haouz, Marrakesh, Ouarzazate, Azilal, Chichaoua, and Taroudant.

As a result of the Moroccan government’s warning not to return home in the event of strong aftershocks, many people spent the night outside.

The number of injured patients in Marrakesh hospitals has increased, and the locals have been urged to give blood.

In addition, there have been reports of residents in the city being trapped under the debris of their collapsed homes and of damage to some areas of the Medina, a Unesco World Heritage Site.

According to a resident, some buildings have collapsed, according to Reuters. There are several videos on X of buildings collapsing, but the hasn’t said where they were.

The famous Kutubiyya mosque in Marrakesh, a popular tourist destination near the center of the old city, had dust surrounding its minaret as well.

One man claimed to have experienced a “violent tremor” and seen “moving buildings.”
“Everyone was frightened and anxious. According to Abdelhak El Amrani, who spoke to the AFP news agency, parents were outraged and children were sobbing.

According to him, phone and electricity lines were out for ten minutes.

Fayssal Badour, a citizen of Marrakech, was in his car when the earthquake struck.

He told AFP, I stopped and saw what a disaster it was. “The crying and screaming was unbearable.”

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