Morocco Earthquake death toll surpasses 1,000; Where did the 6.8-magnitude earthquake strike in the country?
Morocco on Friday night. This tragic event marked the deadliest earthquake to hit the North African country in decades. Reports indicated that rescue teams were struggling to reach the most affected areas, as roads were blocked by debris. One witness had said, «We were hoping for miracles from the rubble.»
Morocco's state TV channel Al Aoula, citing the interior ministry, has reported that the death toll from the earthquake in Morocco now stands at 1,037, with over 1,000 individuals injured. The ministry has also indicated that 721 people are in critical condition. This earthquake marks the deadliest to strike Morocco in many decades.
Morocco Earthquake: What was its epicenter?
The earthquake's epicenter was located in the Ighil area, a picturesque, mountainous rural commune nestled amid the al-Haouz province, close to the renowned ski resort of Oukaimeden, situated within the Atlas Mountains.
Remarkably, the region had not previously been known for seismic activity, as stated by Moroccan senator and former minister Lanchen Haddad in an interview with Al Jazeera.
This devastating earthquake, which occurred 75 kilometers (44 miles) from Marrakesh, the nation's fourth-largest city, had particularly dire consequences for the city's historic old town, a UNESCO World Heritage site, where distressing images emerged of buildings reduced to rubble.
The epicenter's immediate vicinity in al-Haouz province, southeast of Marrakesh, bore the brunt of the catastrophe, but the provinces of Ouarzazate, Azilal, Chichaoua, and Taroudant also suffered significant damage.
The tremors rippled across the entire nation, reaching as far as the coastal towns of Imsouane, located approximately 180 kilometers (102 miles) to the west of Ighil, and
