Morocco quake death toll rises to 2,497: interior ministry

(AFP) – The death toll from Morocco’s devastating earthquake has risen to 2,497, the interior ministry said on Monday, as search and rescue efforts continue.

Another 2,476 people were injured, the ministry said, updating a previous toll of 2,122 dead and 2,400 wounded.

A man looks at the rubble of homes in the mountain village of Imi N’Tala, south of Marrakech, on September 10, 2023. – The death toll from Morocco’s devastating earthquake has risen to 2,497, the interior ministry said on September 11, as search and rescue efforts continue. (Photo by Matias CHIOFALO / AFP)

– Strongest-ever in Morocco –

A 6.8-magnitude quake, according to the US Geological Survey — the strongest in the North African country’s history — struck Friday at 11:11 pm (2211 GMT) in an area of the Atlas mountain range 72 kilometres (45 miles) southwest of the city of Marrakesh.

It was also felt in the coastal cities of Rabat, Casablanca and Essaouira, as well as Agadir which in the 1960s had to be completely rebuilt after a devastating tremor.

– Historic city hit –

Friday’s quake caused damage in the tourist hotspot of Marrakesh which is famed for its sprawling medina, or old town, a UNESCO-listed World Heritage Site of ochre-coloured palaces and markets.

The city’s 12th-century ramparts partially collapsed.

Fearing their homes might collapse too, some residents spent the past two nights camped out on the vast Jemaa el-Fna square.

– Atlas villages crumple –

The worst destruction took place in the remote villages of the High Atlas, in the provinces of Al-Haouz and Taroudant.

The mud-brick villages of Tafeghaghte and Moulay Brahim, near the quake’s epicentre, were almost completely destroyed, AFP reporters witnessed.

In Tafeghaghte alone, some 70 victims out of a population of around 100 people were buried on Saturday.

– Rescue underway –

The race is on to get teams with heavy-lifting equipment into the worst-hit areas including hard-to-reach mountain villages.

The Moroccan Red Crescent and army are leading the rescue effort.

Caroline Holt of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies said on Saturday that “the next 24 to 48 hours will be critical in terms of saving lives”.

Spain has sent 56 rescue workers along with drilling equipment and four search dogs after an official request from Morocco.

Other countries are waiting for an invitation to be able to intervene.

European Union members, Britain, the United States, Turkey and Israel — which established ties with Rabat in late 2020 — have all expressed solidarity with Morocco and offered help.

– Three-day mourning –

Morocco on Saturday proclaimed three days of national mourning, following a meeting presided by King Mohammed VI.