(TT) – 6.8-magnitude earthquake in remote mountainous areas of Morocco on Saturday killed over 2,100
“In a desperate bid to find survivors after more than 2,100 people were killed in the deadliest earthquake to strike the country in decades” CNN reports.
“Morocco will observe three days of mourning following the quake, the Royal Palace said. Flags will be flown at half-staff on all public buildings.
The 6.8-magnitude earthquake shook Morocco’s High Atlas mountain range shortly after 11 p.m. local time on Friday (6 p.m. ET) at the relatively shallow depth of 18.5 kilometers (11.4 miles), the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said. The epicenter was located about 72 kilometers (44.7 miles) southwest of Marrakech, a city of some 840,000 people and a popular tourist destination.
Over 2,100 people were killed and others in a critical condition, Morocco’s state TV Al Aoula said, citing the interior ministry.
Emergency services were deployed to quake-stricken regions, as King Mohammed VI of Morocco ordered that a relief commission be set up to distribute aid to survivors. Offers of international aid poured in from countries including Japan, France and the UAE.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of destruction in the Atlas Mountains foothills following the earthquake, amid a rapidly increasing death toll revealing the human cost.”
