By – Prakarsh Kastwar
Morocco earthquake: The Interior Ministry of Morocco announced at least 1037 fatalities and more than 1,200 injured on Saturday morning.
More than 1,000 people have died as a result of a strong 6.8 magnitude earthquake that slammed Morocco on Friday night, according to state television, which was cited by Reuters. Even as frantic search and rescue operations continued, looking for survivors in dust and wreckage, the death toll is sure to rise even higher.
On Saturday morning, the Moroccan Interior Ministry announced that at least 1,037 people had died, largely in the popular tourist destination of Marrakech and five nearby provinces, and that 1,204 more had been injured. (Updates on the earthquake in Morocco)
The country of North Africa had the strongest earthquake in 120 years, and images and videos from various sections of the country showed terrified and bewildered people pouring into the streets as a result. Due to the vulnerability of the country’s historic cities, which were built of stone and brick, its infrastructure sustained significant damage.
Top updates on the Morocco earthquake :
- After severing ties with Morocco last year, Algeria announced on Saturday that it would allow flights arrying supplies and medical personnel to and from the earthquake-stricken country of Morocco. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Algeria has previously expressed “its sincere condolences to the brotherly Moroccan people for the victims of the earthquake”.
- 721 of the overall injured, according to the interior ministry, are in critical condition. Additionally, it stated that more than half of the fatalities reported so far occurred in the provinces of Taroudant and Al-Haouz, which served as the epicenter.
- King Mohammed VI of Morocco issued an order to the armed forces following the accident to mobilize air and ground assets, specialized search and rescue teams, and a surgical field hospital, according to a military statement. While the globe has expressed sympathy and support for Morocco, the country’s leadership has not yet made an official request for help, which is a need before outside rescue teams may arrive.
- Pope Francis also spoke to world leaders to express his sympathy and support for Moroccans. Pope Francis addressed a message to Morocco that stated, “The pope expresses his profound solidarity with those who are touched in the flesh and heart by this tragedy.” Pietro Parolin is the secretary of state for the Vatican.
- Rescue attempts are reportedly being hampered by clogged highways leading to the mountainous area surrounding the epicenter, with automobiles and rocks blocking the way. Nasser Jabour, head of Morocco’s National Institute of Geophysics, reported on national broadcaster SNRT that weak aftershocks were felt at the earthquake’s epicenter in the Al Haouz region. He also reportedly asked people to maintain their composure.
- The complete extent of the destruction to Marrakech, a UNESCO World Heritage site that is popular with tourists, was still unknown as of Saturday morning. Unverified videos showing fissures and fallen rubble in a tiny portion of the medieval walls, as well as a toppled minaret, appeared online while the most of the important historical sites in the old city looked to be substantially undamaged.