After the severe earthquake in Morocco, the death toll has risen to 632. The Interior Ministry of the northwest African country announced this on Saturday morning. Accordingly, the number of injured is currently 329. It is assumed that the number of victims will continue to rise.
Deaths were reported in many different provinces. According to the Interior Ministry, most of the damage occurred outside the cities and some of the affected areas have not yet been reached. The Moroccan news site Hespress reported, citing the Interior Ministry, that local and national armed forces and civil defense were using all means to provide necessary assistance and assess the damage.
Images and videos from social networks on Saturday night and early morning show destroyed buildings in cities and people sitting on the streets. According to media reports, historical landmarks were also damaged.
US Earthquake Observatory: Quake had a magnitude of 6.8
The US Earthquake Observatory USGS said the quake had a magnitude of 6.8 and occurred at a depth of 18.5 kilometers, a good 70 kilometers southwest of Marrakesh and 60 kilometers northeast of the city of Taroudant. The epicenter was in the Atlas Mountains. The geophone at the Helmholtz Center Potsdam reported the magnitude of the quake at 11:11 p.m. local time as 6.9. A short time later, the US authorities reported an aftershock with a magnitude of 4.9.
Earthquakes in North Africa are relatively rare. In 1960, according to the Al Arabiya broadcaster, a magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck near Agadir, killing thousands of people. The last major earthquake hit Morocco in 2004 with a magnitude of 6.4. More than 600 people were killed.
The images evoke memories of the severe earthquake in southeastern Turkey and Syria at the beginning of February. According to official information, more than 50,000 people died in Turkey alone as a result of the natural disaster.
