1037 dead in the deadliest earthquake to hit Morocco in a century

 Moroccan state television, citing the Ministry of the Interior, reported on Saturday afternoon that the number of victims of the earthquake that struck the country yesterday evening, Friday, had risen to 1,037 dead and 1,204 injured, including 721 seriously injured.

While the National Institute of Geophysics in Morocco reported that the intensity of the earthquake reached 7.2 on the Richter scale, the US Geological Survey reported that its intensity reached 6.8 on the same scale.

The head of the institute said that the earthquake - which struck southwest of Marrakesh and whose epicenter was in the Al Haouz province - was the most violent in a century.

In turn, the Moroccan News Agency reported that health authorities are calling on citizens to donate blood to save those injured in the earthquake, while the authorities have begun search and rescue operations for those trapped under the rubble.

The earthquake occurred around 11 p.m. yesterday, Friday (22 GMT), southwest of Marrakesh, at a depth of 8 kilometers.

The Interior Ministry said in a statement that the victims occurred in the provinces and prefectures (regions) of Al Haouz, Marrakesh, Ouarzazate, Azilal, Chichaoua, and Taroudant.

The National Center for Scientific and Technical Research, headquartered in Rabat, stated that the magnitude of the earthquake reached 7 degrees on the Richter scale.

The head of the Moroccan National Institute of Geophysics described this earthquake - which struck southwest of Marrakesh - as the most violent in a century.

On the other hand, the Moroccan News Agency reported that health authorities are calling on citizens to donate blood to save those injured in the earthquake.

Video clips broadcast on the social media platform “X” showed people running in the streets and buildings shaking.

In Marrakesh, the closest major city to the epicenter, some houses collapsed in the crowded old city, and people are working hard to remove the rubble while waiting for heavy equipment to arrive, a resident said.

Footage of the city wall - which dates back to the Middle Ages - showed large cracks in one of its sections, parts of it falling and debris scattered in the street.

Residents of Marrakesh said that some buildings collapsed in the old city, which is listed on the list of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and local television showed pictures of the collapse of the minaret of a mosque and the scattering of rubble on smashed cars.