By Corey Bennett
At 11:11 p.m. on Friday September 8th, a devastating earthquake struck Morocco, killing thousands of people and leaving even more injured or not found at all. This was the largest earthquake in the nation’s center in more than a century. The damage has resulted in 2,862 deaths, according to state media on Monday.
The earthquake had a magnitude of almost 6.8, with its impact felt as far north as Casablanca. It also struck at a low, shallow depth, making the earthquake even more devastating. The earthquake damaged mostly towns and villages near the bottom of the Atlas Mountains, while it also ripped right through the center and suburbs of Marrakech.
Though Morocco has suffered many earthquakes in the past, very few of them have been this powerful. This was the strongest earthquake that they have had since 1960, which killed more than 12,000 people.
Earthquakes, though rare, are not unexpected to happen here. It is to be noted that the area has had nine earthquakes with a magnitude of 5 or higher since 1900. But none of these earthquakes have ever had a magnitude higher than 6.
Many emergency workers have been deployed to regions that have been affected by earthquakes, despite most of the roads being damaged or blocked by debris. Some villages on the foothills of the mountains have unfortunately been too hard to access, preventing them from getting help.
“The rescue efforts are ongoing to reach the difficult areas.” “The earthquake struck mountainous areas that are scattered geographically, and it’s difficult to reach these areas in some cases,” says Morocco’s government in response to CNN.
Morocco’s government officials state that they have made all resources available to try and tackle the damage of the earthquake. They have urged many people to avoid panicking and keep calm.
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