Topline
Morocco’s biggest earthquake in at least 120 years devastated an area just south of the historic city of Marrakesh, leaving behind wrenching images of toppled buildings, with entire neighborhoods reduced to rubble, and leaving a rapidly growing death toll. (Related: Updated report on Morocco’s earthquake).
Collapsed buildings left behind a pile of rubble in the village of Moulay Brahim after a 6.8 … [+]
Key Facts
The 6.8 Magnitude earthquake, which struck roughly 70 miles south of Marrakesh in the country’s High Atlas Mountains, was the strongest to hit the region since 1900, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, which described the area as one where major earthquakes are “uncommon” but not “unexpected.”
Photos and videos show buildings collapsed as rescue workers scour through piles of rubble, which hit an area where in some cases anceinty buildings are “simply not constructed robustly enough” to handle a major quake, University College London geophysics professor emeritus Bill McGuire told the Associated Press.
Morocco’s King Mohammed VI ordered the country’s military on Saturday to mobilize specialized search teams, including a field hospital as the rescue mission continues, while world leaders have announced plans to provide assistance—President Joe Biden on Saturday said his administration is “ready to provide any necessary assistance” to Morocco.
Moulay Brahim, a village near the historic city of Marrakesh, was devastated by the earthquake, … [+]
A damaged hotel in Moulay Brahim was one of hundreds of buildings damaged south of Marrakesh.
Marrakesh also felt the brunt of the earthquake, which officials say injured at least 1,200 people.
The streets of Casablanca were packed early Saturday morning, where residents feeling the 6.8 … [+]
A man walks with his belongings through the rubble in Marrakesh, roughly 70 miles north of the … [+]
A cat in the rubble in Moulay Brahim village, near Marrakesh.
Rescue workers search for survivors under the rubble of a collapsed house in Moulay Brahim.
A woman in front of her earthquake-damaged house in Marrakesh, near where the earthquake hit in … [+]
People mourn in front of the body of a victim killed in an earthquake in Moulay Brahim.
The region is known to have earthquakes, though the U.S. Geological Survey said they are “uncommon.”
Further Reading
At Least 1,000 Dead From Morocco Earthquake (Forbes)
