A powerful 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck Morocco Friday night, killing more than 600 people and damaging buildings in the historic city of Marrakech in what the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said was the strongest tremor to hit that part of the North African nation in more than a century,
CNN reports.
The quake struck in Morocco’s High Atlas mountain range shortly after 11 p.m. local time at the relatively shallow depth of 18.5 kilometers (11.4 miles), USGS said, with the epicenter located about 72 kilometers (44.7 miles) southwest of Marrakech, a city of some 840,000 people and a popular tourist destination.
At least 632 people were killed, and 329 others were wounded – including 51 in critical condition, state-run TV Al Aoula reported, citing Morocco’s Interior Ministry.
Many spent the night on the streets in multiple cities fearful of aftershocks as a desperate mission to locate those trapped in the rubble got underway. Health authorities also called on people to donate blood to help victims.
Most deaths occurred in mountain areas close to the epicenter that were hard to reach, authorities said, and rescue teams were having difficulty reaching the worst affected areas after roads were damaged, Al Aoula reported.
The Royal Moroccan Armed Forces warned that residents to pay close attention to follow up tremors.
