Over a thousand people lost their lives in Morocco after a powerful 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck on a Friday night.
This quake is the strongest in over 120 years and caused large scale devastation. The city of Marrakech, along with its surroundings, is the focus of ongoing search and rescue operations, where more than 1,200 people have been found injured.
An official statement on Saturday evening confirmed the death toll at 1,037, with an additional 1,204 people injured. Among the injured, 721 are in critical condition.
However, rescue teams have been encountering difficulties due to debris obstructing their path. Reports indicate that reaching the hardest-hit areas has been challenging for these dedicated workers.
The earthquake occurred in a mountainous region located 72 kilometers southwest of the popular tourist destination at 11:11 pm local time on Friday. Tremors from this powerful quake were felt in coastal cities like Rabat, Casablanca, and Essaouira.
Videos and images shared on social media depict piles of rubble and dust clouds as structures crumbled under the earthquake’s force. Other posts reveal frightened locals rushing into the streets and fleeing nearby buildings in search of safety.
Numerous countries have offered assistance, with aid flights and supplies ready should Morocco request them. Even Algeria, which had severed ties and closed borders with Morocco two years ago, has extended its support by opening its airspace for aid flights.
According to reports by Al Jazeera, the Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Department has placed 265 members of medical, relief, and search and rescue teams on standby. They have also allocated a thousand tents for transport to Morocco in case the authorities in Rabat make such a request.