At least 296 people killed in Morocco powerful earthquake

The ministry reported that following the 6.8-magnitude earthquake that occurred 72 kilometres (45 miles) southwest of Marrakesh’s tourist destination, 51 of the injured were in a critical condition.

Morocco earthquake: A 33-year-old man in Marrakesh called AFP and said, “We felt a pretty severe tremor, and I realised it was an earthquake.

“I could make out moving buildings. We may not always have the reflexes necessary for this kind of circumstance. After that, I went outside and saw a large crowd. Everyone was startled and in a panic. The parents were inconsolable while the kids sobbed.

The telephone network and the power were both out for ten minutes before coming back on. Everyone chose to remain outside,” he continued.

Another Marrakesh resident, Fayssal Badour, claimed to have been driving when the earthquake struck.

“I halted and saw what a catastrophe it was. It was so grave it seemed like a flood had overflowed its bounds. It was agonising to hear the screaming and wailing, he said.

Authorities have “mobilised all necessary resources to intervene and assist the affected areas,” according to the interior ministry.

Marrakesh hospitals apparently experienced a “massive influx” of patients with injuries.

Residents are being urged to donate blood to help the injured, according to the regional blood transfusion centre in Marrakech.

A family in the town of Al-Haouz, close to the epicentre of the earthquake, was reportedly trapped in the debris after their home collapsed.

Likely significant damage

The coastal cities of Rabat, Casablanca, and Essaouira also felt the tremor.

“There is more panic than harm. At the time of the tremor, we heard screaming, a resident of Essaouira, 200 km west of Marrakech, stated.

“People choose to sleep outside in the squares and cafes. Facade pieces have fallen.

An orange signal for economic losses was issued by the USGS’s PAGER system, which offers early evaluations of the effects of earthquakes and predicts the likelihood of major damage.

According to the US government agency, previous occurrences with this alert level have called for a regional or national-level reaction.

In this location, “the population lives in structures that are highly vulnerable to earthquake shaking,” according to USGS.

According to international internet watchdog NetBlocks, Marrakesh had internet connectivity issues as a result of power outages.

According to Moroccan media, it was the strongest earthquake to have ever struck the nation.

Although the earthquake was also felt in nearby Algeria, neither damage nor casualties were reported there, according to Algerian Civil Defence.

In 2004, an earthquake that struck Al Hoceima in northwestern Morocco resulted in at least 628 fatalities and 926 injuries.

One of the worst and most damaging earthquakes in recent memory was the 7.3-magnitude El Asnam earthquake that struck adjacent Algeria in 1980. At least 300,000 people were left homeless and 2,500 people died.