More than 2,100 people have died in Morocco’s deadliest earthquake in more than 60 years. The magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck at a depth of nearly 26 km. The epicenter of the earthquake is located in the province of Al Haouz, in the High Atlas, about 75 km from Marrakech, Morocco’s fourth largest city. The UNESCO-listed Old City of Marrakech was badly hit, with images showing collapsed buildings.
The province of Al Haouz was the most affected, as were the provinces of Ouarzazate, Azilal, Chichaoua and Taroudant. Rescue teams are struggling to reach remote villages. The earthquake is classified as “strong” on the Richter scale, with a magnitude of 6.8, 10 times higher than the last strongest earthquake, with a magnitude of 5.8, in 1960. Factors such as magnitude, depth, proximity to populated areas, ground conditions and the risk of triggering secondary disasters such as tsunamis and landslides determine the destructive nature of an earthquake.
