Individuals take shelter and verify for information on their cell phones after an earthquake in Rabat, Morocco, Friday, Sept. 8, 2023. A robust earthquake struck Morocco late Friday, damaging buildings in main cities and sending panicked individuals pouring into streets and alleyways from Rabat to Marrakech. (AP Picture/Mosa’ab Elshamy)
UPDATED RABAT, Morocco — A robust earthquake struck Morocco late Friday, damaging buildings in main cities and sending panicked individuals pouring into streets and alleyways from the capital Rabat to Marrakech, the county’s most visited vacationer vacation spot.
There was no instant phrase on whether or not there have been any accidents or deaths. Authorities officers had made no touch upon the extent of the quake’s affect as of early Saturday.
Moroccans posted movies exhibiting some buildings turned to rubble and dirt and elements of the well-known crimson partitions that encompass the outdated metropolis in historic Marrakech broken. Vacationers and others posted movies of individuals evacuating eating places within the metropolis as throbbing membership music performed.
Experiences on harm and any casualties usually take time to filter in after many earthquakes, significantly people who hit in the midst of the evening.
Somewhat than return to concrete buildings, males, ladies and youngsters stayed out within the streets fearful about aftershocks and different reverberations that might trigger their properties to sway.
The U.S. Geological Survey mentioned the quake had a preliminary magnitude of 6.8 when it hit at 11:11 p.m. (2211 GMT), with shaking that lasted a number of seconds. Morocco’s Nationwide Seismic Monitoring and Alert Community measured it at 7 on the Richter scale. The U.S. company reported a magnitudue-4.9 aftershock hit 19 minutes later.
Variations in early measurements are frequent, though both studying could be Morocco’s strongest in years. Although earthquakes are comparatively uncommon in North Africa, a magnitude 5.8 tremor struck close to Agadir and brought on hundreds of deaths in 1960.
The epicenter of Friday’s tremor was excessive within the Atlas Mountains roughly 70 kilometers (43.5 miles) south of Marrakech. It was additionally close to Toubkal, the best peak in North Africa and Oukaimeden, a well-liked Moroccan ski resort.
The USGS mentioned the epicenter was 18 kilometers (11 miles) under the Earth’s floor, whereas Morocco’s seismic company put it at 8 kilometers (5 miles) down.
Past experiences on the quake’s magnitude, neither Moroccan officers nor MAP, Morocco’s official information company, had printed any details about casualties or damages as of early Saturday. Authorities officers sometimes use the company to speak details about vital issues.
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