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If you’re just joining us, here are the main developments so far:
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More than 600 people have been killed in Morocco after a powerful earthquake hit several towns and cities. A search for survivors is ongoing
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A local official said most deaths were in mountain areas that were hard to reach
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It was Morocco’s deadliest since at least a 2004 tremor in the northern Rif mountains that killed over 600 people
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More than 300 people have been reported injured in quake, which local officials say caused the most damage in rural areas
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The earthquake, which was centred in Ighil, measured at least 6.8 magnitude, though some readings have it higher
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In Marrakech, some buildings in the old city, a Unesco world heritage site, have been damaged or destroyed
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Numerous world leaders, including Emmanuel Macron, Volodymyr Zelensky, Narendra Modi and Olaf Scholz have sent messages of support
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That’s it from me on the blog for now, I’m handing over to my colleague Kevin Rawlinson.
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Narendra Modi is one of several world leaders to offer their support to Morocco. India’s prime minister’s posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he was “ready to offer all possible assistance to Morocco in this difficult time”.
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Extremely pained by the loss of lives due to an earthquake in Morocco. In this tragic hour, my thoughts are with the people of Morocco. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover at the earliest. India is ready to offer all possible assistance to…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 9, 2023
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The German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, said his “thoughts are with the victims”.
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Das sind schlimme Nachrichten aus #Marokko. In diesen schweren Stunden sind unsere Gedanken bei den Opfern des verheerenden Erdbebens. Unser Mitgefühl gilt allen Betroffenen dieser Naturkatastrophe.
— Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz (@Bundeskanzler) September 9, 2023
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A resident of Marrakech has been speaking to the AFP news agency about his experience. Abdelhak El Amrani, 33, said:
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We felt a very violent tremor, and I realised it was an earthquake.
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I could see buildings moving. We don’t necessarily have the reflexes for this type of situation.
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Then I went outside and there were a lot of people there. People were all in shock and panic. The children were crying and the parents were distraught.”
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The power went out for 10 minutes, and so did the (telephone) network, but then it came back on.
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Everyone decided to stay outside.
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Grim news coming out of Morocco as state TV, citing a government minister, reports the number of people killed in the earthquake has now reached 632, with a further 329 injured.
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As we mentioned earlier, Morocco’s geophysical centre said the quake struck in the Ighil area of the High Atlas.
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The impact, however, has been felt as far afield as Portugal and Algeria.
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Ighil, a mountainous area with small farming villages, is about 70km (40 miles) south-west of Marrakech.
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Morocco’s geophysical centre said the quake struck in the Ighil area of the High Atlas with a magnitude of 7.2.
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The US Geological Survey put the quake’s magnitude at 6.8 and said it was at a relatively shallow depth of 18.5km (11.5 miles).
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A powerful earthquake centred in Morocco’s High Atlas mountains killed hundreds of people, the government said, as collapsed buildings and people fled their shuddering homes in several cities.
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Residents of Marrakech, the nearest major city to the epicentre, said some buildings had collapsed in the old city, a Unesco world heritage site, and local television showed pictures of a fallen mosque minaret with rubble lying on smashed cars after the quake struck at 11.11pm on Friday.
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Morocco’s interior ministry said early on Saturday that at least 296 people died in the provinces near the quake centre. Additionally, 153 injured people were sent to hospitals for treatment. The ministry wrote that most damage occurred outside of cities and towns.
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A local official said most deaths were in mountainous areas that were hard to reach.
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We’ll bring you the latest updates from this story.
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Key events
What we know so far
If you’re just joining us, here are the main developments so far:
-
More than 600 people have been killed in Morocco after a powerful earthquake hit several towns and cities. A search for survivors is ongoing
-
A local official said most deaths were in mountain areas that were hard to reach
-
It was Morocco’s deadliest since at least a 2004 tremor in the northern Rif mountains that killed over 600 people
-
More than 300 people have been reported injured in quake, which local officials say caused the most damage in rural areas
-
The earthquake, which was centred in Ighil, measured at least 6.8 magnitude, though some readings have it higher
-
In Marrakech, some buildings in the old city, a Unesco world heritage site, have been damaged or destroyed
-
Numerous world leaders, including Emmanuel Macron, Volodymyr Zelensky, Narendra Modi and Olaf Scholz have sent messages of support
That’s it from me on the blog for now, I’m handing over to my colleague Kevin Rawlinson.
Some more images from Morocco are coming through from local photographers now:
The Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has offered his condolences to relatives of the victims.
“All my solidarity and support to the people of Morocco in the wake of this terrible earthquake … Spain is with the victims of this tragedy and its families,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
While most of the damage occurred in rural areas, almost all of the footage we have is from urban areas.
Journalist Martin Jay, who is based in Morocco, said the earthquake was “unprecedented” and “off the scale”.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme:
The first hint was my wife screaming. We both kind of nodded off into sleep. I just opened my eyes and couldn’t quite join the dots up. I couldn’t imagine I was in the middle of an earthquake. Everything was vibrating – the bed, four walls. I thought it was some kind of storm, a strong wind perhaps. I grabbed a hat and pulled her out of the bed.
There were reports coming through on Moroccan media warning people not to go back into their homes. This is nationwide message that was put out by the authorities.
He said people were sitting outside their homes, afraid of the second earthquake, which thankfully never came.
I made calls to friends and they told me there are deaths, there are a number of buildings that have collapsed and I’m absolutely sure I know what those buildings are. They’ll be the traditional buildings, the buildings that poor Moroccans make themselves here of mud. They are not particularly strong and they are certainly not built to withstand anything like an earthquake.
The earthquake we had is unprecedented, it’s completely off the scale. Morocco’s never had anything like that, ever.
World leaders offer support and condolences
Narendra Modi is one of several world leaders to offer their support to Morocco. India’s prime minister’s posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he was “ready to offer all possible assistance to Morocco in this difficult time”.
Extremely pained by the loss of lives due to an earthquake in Morocco. In this tragic hour, my thoughts are with the people of Morocco. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover at the earliest. India is ready to offer all possible assistance to…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 9, 2023
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Extremely pained by the loss of lives due to an earthquake in Morocco. In this tragic hour, my thoughts are with the people of Morocco. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover at the earliest. India is ready to offer all possible assistance to…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 9, 2023
The German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, said his “thoughts are with the victims”.
Das sind schlimme Nachrichten aus #Marokko. In diesen schweren Stunden sind unsere Gedanken bei den Opfern des verheerenden Erdbebens. Unser Mitgefühl gilt allen Betroffenen dieser Naturkatastrophe.
— Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz (@Bundeskanzler) September 9, 2023
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Das sind schlimme Nachrichten aus #Marokko. In diesen schweren Stunden sind unsere Gedanken bei den Opfern des verheerenden Erdbebens. Unser Mitgefühl gilt allen Betroffenen dieser Naturkatastrophe.
— Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz (@Bundeskanzler) September 9, 2023
The US Geological Survey’s Psger system, which provides preliminary assessments on the impact of earthquakes, has issued a red alert for economic losses, saying extensive damage is probable and the disaster is likely widespread.
Past events with this alert level have required a national or international level response, according to the US government agency.
‘People were in shock’
A resident of Marrakech has been speaking to the AFP news agency about his experience. Abdelhak El Amrani, 33, said:
We felt a very violent tremor, and I realised it was an earthquake.
I could see buildings moving. We don’t necessarily have the reflexes for this type of situation.
Then I went outside and there were a lot of people there. People were all in shock and panic. The children were crying and the parents were distraught.”
The power went out for 10 minutes, and so did the (telephone) network, but then it came back on.
Everyone decided to stay outside.
The US Geological Survey has provided this map showing the impact of the earthquake:
People in Rabat, about 350km (220 miles) north of Ighil, and in the coastal town of Imsouane, about 180km to its west, also fled their homes, fearing a stronger quake, according to witnesses.
“We heard screams at the time of the tremor,” a resident of Essaouira, 200km west of Marrakech, said by phone. “People are in the squares, in the cafes, preferring to sleep outside. Pieces of facades have fallen.”
Some videos shared on social media appeared to show at least one building collapsing and rubble in the streets. Others showed people running out of a shopping centre, restaurants and apartment buildings and congregating outside.
Death toll has now reached 632 – state media
Grim news coming out of Morocco as state TV, citing a government minister, reports the number of people killed in the earthquake has now reached 632, with a further 329 injured.
Which areas have been affected by the earthquake?
As we mentioned earlier, Morocco’s geophysical centre said the quake struck in the Ighil area of the High Atlas.
The impact, however, has been felt as far afield as Portugal and Algeria.
Ighil, a mountainous area with small farming villages, is about 70km (40 miles) south-west of Marrakech.
Here are some of the latest images coming through from Marrakech, where some buildings have collapsed in the old city, a Unesco world heritage site.
In Marrakech, some houses in the tightly packed old city have collapsed and people have been working by hand to remove debris while they waited for heavy equipment, one resident said.
Footage of the medieval city wall showed big cracks in one section and parts that had fallen, with rubble lying on the street.
Another Marrakech resident said he saw ambulances coming out of the old town and many building facades damaged.
People were frightened and were staying outside in case of another quake, he added.
How powerful was the earthquake?
Morocco’s geophysical centre said the quake struck in the Ighil area of the High Atlas with a magnitude of 7.2.
The US Geological Survey put the quake’s magnitude at 6.8 and said it was at a relatively shallow depth of 18.5km (11.5 miles).
Hundreds killed as earthquake hits Morocco
A powerful earthquake centred in Morocco’s High Atlas mountains killed hundreds of people, the government said, as collapsed buildings and people fled their shuddering homes in several cities.
Residents of Marrakech, the nearest major city to the epicentre, said some buildings had collapsed in the old city, a Unesco world heritage site, and local television showed pictures of a fallen mosque minaret with rubble lying on smashed cars after the quake struck at 11.11pm on Friday.
Morocco’s interior ministry said early on Saturday that at least 296 people died in the provinces near the quake centre. Additionally, 153 injured people were sent to hospitals for treatment. The ministry wrote that most damage occurred outside of cities and towns.
A local official said most deaths were in mountainous areas that were hard to reach.
We’ll bring you the latest updates from this story.
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