Earthquake in Morocco: the death toll rises to 2,012, a three-day national mourning

More than 2,012 people died in a powerful earthquake that struck Morocco overnight from Friday to Saturday, causing enormous damage and sowing panic in Marrakech, a tourist hotspot, and several other cities, according to a new official report .

The toll is increasing in Morocco: at least 2,012 people died in the powerful earthquake that struck the country on the night of Friday to Saturday, according to figures from the Ministry of the Interior issued on the night of Saturday 9 to Sunday 10 september. The quake also left 2,059 injured, including 1,404 in very serious condition, the Interior Ministry said in a statement late in the evening this Saturday.

The kingdom has declared a three-day national mourning, announced the royal cabinet, following a meeting chaired by King Mohammed VI on this earthquake, the most powerful to hit the country to date. The International Red Cross alerted the international community to the importance of aid for Morocco, citing needs for months or even years.

Magnitude 6.8

The earthquake of magnitude 6.8 was recorded at 11:11 p.m. local time, according to the American Institute of Geophysics (USGS). The Moroccan Center for Scientific and Technical Research (CNRST) measured the magnitude of the earthquake at 7, stating that the epicenter of the tremor was in the province of Al-Haouz, southwest of the tourist city of Marrakech. .

More than half of the dead (694) were recorded in Al-Haouz and Taroudant (347), further south, two mountainous rural areas in the heart of the High Atlas, according to the ministry, reporting the continuation of operations of rescue.