Major earthquake in Morocco: 296 deaths reported so far Rape: ‘The Wild Seventies’ star sentenced to 30 years in prison

At least 296 people have been killed in a major earthquake in Morocco. The Ministry of the Interior of the northwest African country announced this early on Saturday morning. In addition, 153 injured people were taken to hospitals for treatment. Most damage occurred outside the cities. Images and videos from social networks show destroyed buildings in cities and people sitting on the streets. According to media reports, historical monuments were also damaged.

The US earthquake monitor USGS said the quake had a magnitude of 6.8 and occurred at a depth of 18.5 kilometers, more than 70 kilometers southwest of Marrakech and 60 kilometers northeast of the city of Taroudant. The epicenter was in the Atlas Mountains. The geophone at the Helmholtz Center Potsdam reported the magnitude of the earthquake as 6.9. A short time later, US authorities reported an aftershock with a magnitude of 4.9.

According to eyewitness accounts, the earthquake caused panic among residents of Marrakech, Agadir and other cities. As Le Matin newspaper reported, the earthquake was also felt in Rabat and Casablanca.

Strongest earthquake in a century

Moroccans posted videos showing collapsed buildings and damaged parts of the famous red walls surrounding Marrakech’s Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Other videos show people screaming as they leave restaurants in the city. The quake was also reportedly felt in Portugal and Algeria.

Nasser Jabour, head of a department at the National Institute of Geophysics, confirmed that the aftershocks were less severe. The earthquake was felt within a radius of 400 kilometers, he told Moroccan news agency MAP. It is the first time in a century that such a strong earthquake has been recorded in Morocco.

Earthquakes in North Africa are relatively rare. According to broadcaster Al Arabiya, a magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck near Agadir in 1960, killing thousands of people. (lion/sda/dpa)