Morocco earthquake kills more than 1,000, officials say
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Doctors Without Borders is working to send teams to Morocco, the humanitarian organization said in an X thread Saturday morning. “We are establishing contacts with local authorities to immediately send our teams to Morocco to assess local needs and if our support is needed,” one tweet read.
No public statement yet from Moroccan leaders
It’s been more than 14 hours since Friday night’s earthquake and Moroccan leaders still do not appear to have made any public statements on the disaster.
According to state media, King Mohammed VI ordered the military to deploy air and ground forces to help search and rescue efforts, but he and Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch have yet to address the public about the earthquake.
France has tweeted telephone numbers for its citizens looking for information or help, while Belgium has created a crisis center for Belgians in Morocco and their relatives. British Airways said in a statement that it has made more seats available for its Saturday flight out of Marrakesh for passengers wishing to return early.
People line up to donate blood for quake victims at Marrakesh center
Marrakesh residents lined up at a blood transfusion center in the Moroccan city early Saturday to donate blood for earthquake victims.
The blood bank had earlier issued an appeal for donations because of a large number of quake victims in need of blood, according to Moroccan media.
Soon after the quake, the Marrakesh Regional Blood Transfusion Center announced the mobilization of all its resources to receive donations, the national news agency MAP said.
“We felt three intense shocks from the earthquake in our building,” Faisal Baddour told the AFP news agency from Marrakesh. “People ran out into the street in a total panic. Some families are sleeping outdoors because they’re afraid to go back inside,” he said. “It felt like a train rolling through our houses.”
Morocco’s history of deadly earthquakes
Friday night’s earthquake has now become the deadliest to hit Morocco in decades, as the Interior Ministry said that at least 820 people were killed and 672 injured.
“Earthquakes of this size in the region are uncommon but not unexpected,” the USGS writes.
There have been two other major deadly earthquakes in Morocco in the past century:
- In 2004, a 6.5-magnitude earthquake near the northern city of Al Hoceima killed more than 600 people.
- In 1960, an earthquake hit southern Morocco, killing thousands of people in the coastal city of Agadir.
Morocco’s King Mohammed VI instructed the military to deploy air and ground forces to help search and rescue efforts alongside specialized teams to set up a field hospital, national news agency MAP reported Saturday. It said planes, helicopters and drones were also dispatched to provide “necessary support to various sectors and affected populations.”
World leaders send condolences
Leaders from around the world have offered their sympathy and support to Morocco:
- French President Emmanuel Macron said on X, formerly known as Twitter: “We are all devastated after the terrible earthquake in Morocco. France stands ready to help with first aid.”
- Britain’s Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said his country “is continuing to support British nationals in the region. We stand ready to help our Moroccan friends in whatever way we can.”
- “In these difficult hours our thoughts are with the victims of the devastating earthquake,” German Chancellor Olaf Scholz wrote. “Our sympathy goes to all of those affected by this natural disaster.”
- Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi wrote that his thoughts “are with the people of Morocco,” adding that his country “is ready to offer all possible assistance to Morocco in this difficult time.”
- Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan tweeted: “We stand by our Moroccan brothers with all our means in this difficult day.” Earlier this year, tens of thousands of people died when an earthquake struck southern Turkey and parts of Syria.
- “All my solidarity and support to the people of Morocco,” wrote Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. “Spain stands with the victims of this tragedy and their families.”
- “Ukraine stands in solidarity with Morocco during this tragic time,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wrote.
- Charles Michel, the president of the European Council, tweeted that the European Union “stands ready to support Morocco in these difficult moments.”
Timing is critical in rescue efforts. Most successful rescues occur within 24 hours and the chances of finding survivors drops with each passing day. For people below the rubble, access to water and oxygen will be crucial. For those who have been badly crushed, the risks don’t end with rescue: damaged muscle tissue can release proteins and other substances into the bloodstream, increasing the risk of kidney failure.
Biden ‘deeply saddened’ by Morocco quake
President Biden, who is in India for the Group of 20 summit, did not respond to a journalist’s question about the earthquake in Morocco, according to a pool report.
However, he said in a statement Saturday that he was “deeply saddened by the loss of life and devastation caused by the earthquake in Morocco. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those impacted by this terrible hardship.”
Which regions are worst affected?
At least 820 people were killed and 672 injured — including 205 in a serious condition — in the earthquake that hit Morocco late Friday, according to the latest figures from the Interior Ministry as of 10 a.m. local time (5 a.m. ET).
Here are the latest updates by region:
- Al Haouz province: 394 deaths
- Taroudant province: 271 deaths
- Chichaoua province: 91 deaths
- Ouarzazate province: 31 deaths
- Marrakesh prefecture: 13 deaths
- Azilal province: 11 deaths
- Agadir prefecture: 5 deaths
- Greater Casablanca: 3 deaths
- Youssoufia region: 1 death
What we know about the quake
According to the United States Geological Survey, the 6.8-magnitude earthquake hit Morocco at 11:11 p.m. local time (6:11 p.m. Eastern time) Friday night. Here’s what else the agency has said:
- The earthquake struck around 47 miles to the southeast of the city of Marrakesh, at a depth of 18.5 km (around 11 miles) — considered to be a shallow earthquake.
- The USGS preliminary report said this was the first quake of such magnitude to hit the area in more than 100 years. It said “earthquakes of this size in the region are uncommon but not unexpected,” adding there had been none with a magnitude higher than 6 since 1900.
- A 4.9-magnitude aftershock was recorded around 20 minutes later.
- According to Morocco’s Interior Ministry, at least 820 people have been killed and 672 injured.
- The USGS warns that Morocco faces a red alert for economic losses. “Extensive damage is probable and the disaster is likely widespread. Estimated economic losses are 0-2% GDP of Morocco. Past events with this alert level have required a national or international level response.”
- A “significant” area is at risk of landslides, according to the USGS, though only a limited population has been exposed.
The United Arab Emirates is opening an air bridge, a route for airlifts, with Morocco to urgently transport various forms of emergency relief to areas in Morocco hit hard by the earthquake, the Emirates’ official news agency WAM said Saturday.
The European Union says it is monitoring the situation in Morocco and stands ready to provide emergency assistance if requested. The first 72 hours after an earthquake are known as the “golden window” for rescue efforts, and the European Union will be able to deploy hundreds of civil defense workers to aid Moroccan crews if an official request is made.
Civil defense teams in Morocco have mobilized to begin aid deliveries, state news agency MAP reports, with workers loading trucks with supplies including blankets, lighting and equipment to help people in affected areas.
Map shows epicenter, impact of earthquake in Morocco
The earthquake hit around 11:11 p.m. local time (6:11 p.m. Eastern time) in the province of Al Haouz, south of Marrakesh, and was felt in other cities including Casablanca, Rabat, and Fez.
A blood bank in the city of Marrakesh issued an appeal early Saturday for people to donate, due to the large number of victims in need of blood, according to Moroccan news outlet 2M.
“We spent a night of horror,” Yacine Kourkouz, a Marrakesh resident, said on French news channel BFMTV. “We heard mothers crying, children crying, and we asked ourselves ‘what is happening to us?’” he recounted. “We spent more time outside than inside because we feared that everything might collapse again.”
Israel’s prime minister and defense minister have pledged aid after the tragic earthquake in Morocco. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said he had instructed government bodies and forces to provide “any necessary assistance to the people of Morocco, including the preparations for sending an aid delegation to the area” and that “we will help in any way needed.”
Marrakesh residents seek safety in city’s historic square
As the earthquake compromised the structural integrity of many buildings in Marrakesh, people sought refuge in the city’s open squares and marketplaces. Jemaa el-Fnaa, Marrakesh’s main square, which is included on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, housed scores of residents who tried to catch sleep on the square’s pavement.
The earthquake was only 11 miles beneath Earth’s surface, USGS says
The earthquake struck in Morocco’s High Atlas Mountains, near Toubkal, the highest peak in North Africa. The epicenter was only about 11 miles under the Earth’s surface, according to the United States Geological Survey. Shallow earthquakes tend to be more destructive.
A 4.9-magnitude aftershock 19 minutes later was reported by the USGS.
The mayor of Marseille, Benoît Payan, said that the port city in southern France is a sister city of Marrakesh, and that Marseille’s firefighters would take part in international rescue efforts to help devastated communities in Morocco.
The president of the United Arab Emirates, Mohamed bin Zayed, has extended condolences to the Moroccan king and people as messages of solidarity poured in from around the world. “We in the UAE stand with the Kingdom of Morocco during this difficult time and wish a speedy recovery ahead to all those affected,” the UAE leader said Saturday.
Almost 300 deaths recorded in Al Haouz province alone, official says
Here are more details of the death toll, which has now risen to 632.
Interior Ministry official Rachid El Khalfi said in a briefing broadcast on Moroccan news channel 2M that 329 people were injured as of 7 a.m. local time (2 a.m. Eastern time), including 51 serious in a serious condition.
Almost 300 deaths were recorded in Al Haouz province and 190 in Taroudant province, he added — both of which lie to the south of Marrakesh. At least 13 people have died in Marrakesh prefecture, he said.
The death toll in the quake had risen to 632 as of Saturday around 7 a.m. local time, with 329 reported injured, Moroccan state-affiliated TV channel 2M reported, citing the latest Interior Ministry figures.
Earthquakes of this size ‘uncommon’
According to the USGS, since 1900, there have been no magnitude 6 or larger earthquakes within 310 miles (500 kilometers) of where Friday’s event occurred in the Atlas mountains, and only nine earthquakes of magnitude 5 or higher.
“Earthquakes of this size in the region are uncommon but not unexpected,” a statement said. The organization also wrote that the population in the affected region “resides in structures that are highly vulnerable to earthquake shaking.”
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