1,037 people have been confirmed to have lost their lives, and 672 others wounded, including 205 in critical condition, when a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 struck the Kingdom of Morocco’s High Atlas Mountain range on 8 September at 23:11 local time, at a depth of 18.5 kilometers. The epicenter was located about 72 kilometers (44.7 miles) southwest of Marrakech, a city with a population of 840,000 people. There was a 4.9 aftershock 19 minutes later and several more have been reported.
As of 9 September, 13:27 local time, Moroccan authorities have reported at least 1,037 people as having lost their life in the provinces and municipalities of al-Haouz, Marrakesh, Ouarzazate, Azilal, Chichaoua and Taroudant. Morocco’s National Institute of Geophysics stated that this level of seismic activity is the first recorded in a century in the country.
Government authorities are leading response efforts including search and rescue and medical support, including by the Moroccan Red Crescent. Initial reports by the World Health Organization (WHO) speak of more than 300,000 civilians in Marrakesh and its outskirts as having been affected by the earthquake.
Many families are trapped under the rubble of their homes, and damage to parts of Marrakesh's Medina, a UNESCO World Heritage Site have also been reported. Hospitals in the city are receiving an influx of injured people, where authorities have called on residents to donate blood. The Moroccan army has deployed search and rescue teams to the affected areas.
The United Nations is in constant communication with the authorities in order to support assessment and response to the situation, and consultations are ongoing in order to further identify areas where the UN and its partners can provide support in the coming hours and days.
Source: https://reliefweb.int
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