A strong earthquake struck Morocco, killing at least 296 people and hospitalizing another 153, the ociated Press reported, citing an interior ministry official.
From data from the European-Mediterranean Seismological Center (EMSC), it follows that an earthquake of magnitude 6.9 occurred on September 8 at 23:11 local time (1:11 Moscow time on September 9) 77 km from Marrakesh at a depth of 10 km. The Moroccan News Agency (MAR), citing the National Institute of Geophysics, reports that the earthquake occurred in Al-Hawz province, near the city of Igil.
The country’s Ministry of Internal Affairs said that “most of the damage occurred outside cities and towns.” AP writes that buildings were damaged both in villages in the Atlas Mountains and in the historical part of Marrakesh. The agency, citing eyewitnesses, reported that the wall surrounding the old city was damaged.
At 23:30 local time, EMSC recorded a magnitude 4.8 aftershock 170 km southwest of Marrakech, 36 km from Agadir. The last earthquake recorded by the service in Morocco occurred at 4:50 local time, 75 km from Marrakesh. Its magnitude was 3.3.