SGGPO 09/09/2023 10:09

Morocco's Interior Ministry said at least 296 people were killed and 153 others injured in a powerful earthquake that struck the country on the evening of September 8.

Most of the dead were in the provinces of al-Haouz, Marrakesh, Ouarzazate, Azilal, Chichaoua and Taroudant, the ministry said. The injured were taken to hospitals for treatment.

Earlier, the German Research Center for Geosciences (GFZ) announced that a magnitude 7 earthquake shook Morocco at 10:10 p.m. on September 8 (5:10 a.m. on September 9, Hanoi time). The epicenter of the earthquake was located at a depth of 10 km, initially determined at coordinates 30.92 degrees north latitude and 8.42 degrees west longitude.

Meanwhile, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) also announced that a magnitude 6.8 earthquake occurred 56 km west of Oukaïmedene, Morocco. The earthquake occurred at 10:11 p.m. on September 8 with an epicenter at a depth of 18.5 km and coordinates at 31.11 degrees north latitude and 8.44 degrees west longitude.

According to witnesses, the earthquake shook many buildings in several cities, causing many people to panic and run into the streets.

In Marrakech, the largest city closest to the epicenter and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, several buildings collapsed. Most of the dead were in the hard-to-reach mountainous area. Many residents had to dig through the rubble with their hands to rescue those trapped.