Morocco earthquake updates: Three days of mourning after over 1,300 dead
At least 1,305 have been killed and 1,832 injured after a powerful earthquake of magnitude 6.8 struck Morocco.
This blog is now closed. Thank you for joining us. These were the updates on the Morocco earthquake on Saturday, September 9:
This blog is now closed. Thank you for joining us. These were the updates on the Morocco earthquake on Saturday, September 9:
- Morocco declared three days of mourning following a deadly earthquake that has devastated large parts of the country, the royal court has announced. In a statement, the palace said national flags will be flown at half-mast.
- At least 1,305 have been killed and 1,832 injured after a powerful earthquake of magnitude 6.8 struck Morocco, according to state media.
- The quake hit just after 11pm local time (22:00 GMT).
- The epicentre of earthquake was at a depth of 18.5km (11.5 miles) and occurred about 72km (44 miles) northeast of Marrakesh, the US Geological Survey (USGS) says.
- Footage on social media reported to be of the earthquake shows tremors being felt and people running into the streets and buildings shaking.
UNESCO to help Morocco draw up heritage repair strategy
UNESCO, the UN heritage organisation, has said it will help Morocco draw up an inventory of damage to national heritage sites and a repair strategy.
Leading world bodies offer support to earthquake-hit Morocco
Leading world bodies have expressed condolences and offered their support for Morocco on Saturday after a devastating earthquake struck the mountains southwest of Marrakesh.
The secretary-general of the Jeddah-based Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Hissein Brahim Taha, prayed for “mercy on the victims and a speedy recovery for the injured”.
World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the quake as “heartbreaking”, adding, “We stand ready to support the immediate health needs.”
UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths said he was “deeply saddened” by news of the quake, saying, “Our thoughts are with the thousands of families affected. We stand ready to support.”
French citizen dead in Morocco earthquake: Foreign Ministry official
One French citizen died and eight were injured in the earthquake that struck Morocco late on Friday night, a French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs official has confirmed.
The French citizen died of a cardiac arrest during the earthquake, the official said on Saturday.
Number of killed in earthquake rises to over 1,300: Morocco Interior Ministry
The Interior Ministry has said 1,305 people were killed in the earthquake that hit Morocco on Friday.
The number of injured rose to 1,832 and includes 1,220 people who are in a critical condition, a statement from the ministry said.
Morocco earthquake response could take years: Red Cross
Responding to Morocco’s deadliest earthquake in decades could take months if not years, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) has warned.
“We are mobilising now to support the Moroccan Red Crescent,” Hossam Elsharkawi, IFRC’s regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, said in a statement on Saturday, warning: “We are looking at many months if not years of response.”
Air France flights to and from Moroccan airports operating normally
Air France has said that all its flights to and from Moroccan airports – Marrakesh Menara, Casablanca Mohammed-V and Rabat-Salé – were operating normally.
“Commercial measures are in place, allowing customers with a booking for travel to or from Morocco in the next few days to modify or postpone their trip free of charge,” the airline said on Saturday.
In conjunction with French and Moroccan authorities, Air France said in a statement that it will study the need to add additional flights or use larger-capacity aircraft on its routes between France and Morocco in the coming days.
King Mohammed VI instructs authorities to support those affected by quake: Royal court
King Mohammed VI has laid out a plan to support those affected by the earthquake, journalist Younis Ezzouhir has told Al Jazeera from Marrakesh, citing a statement released on Saturday by the royal court.
An inter-ministerial committee charged with setting up an emergency program to rebuild destroyed homes will be created, the statement said.
Also, the armed forces will deploy rescue teams to provide affected areas with clean drinking water, food supplies, tents and blankets, it added.
The king ordered authorities to focus on providing care to “distressed people, particularly orphans and the vulnerable”.
He also ordered the establishment of a special account at the central bank for aid donations.
Eiffel Tower lights to go dark in tribute to victims of Morocco’s quake
The Eiffel Tower’s lights will go dark at 21:00 GMT on Saturday in tribute to victims of Morocco’s earthquake, AFP reports, citing Paris City Hall.
Morocco’s Interior Ministry said earlier that 1,037 people had been killed by the quake, recorded by the US Geological Survey at a magnitude of 6.8 with an epicentre some 72km (45 miles) southwest of Marrakesh.
Morocco declares three days of mourning: Royal court
Morocco declared three days of mourning following a deadly earthquake that has devastated large parts of the country, the royal court has announced.
In a statement, the palace said national flags will be flown at half-mast.
Israel says it’s preparing to send aid to Morocco
Israel says it intends to provide assistance to Morocco including sending an “aid delegation” to the area.
“Following the tragic earthquake in Morocco, the prime minister has instructed all government bodies and forces to provide any necessary assistance to the people of Morocco, including preparations for sending an aid delegation to the area,” Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.
Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant also held a phone call with his Moroccan counterpart to express Israel’s desire to assist the earthquake-stricken country “as much as is required”. Gallant ordered the Israeli military to prepare to provide Morocco with humanitarian aid.
UAE, Jordan extend offer of help to Morocco
The Emirates News Agency reported that Dubai police rescue teams were dispatching aid to Morocco following the deadly earthquake that struck on Friday. King Abdullah II of Jordan also extended an offer of help.
Moroccan authorities responding quickly despite challenges: Senator
Lahcen Haddad, a Moroccan senator and former minister, says the authorities are responding quickly despite the many challenges, including difficult terrain.
“Moroccan authorities are … getting people to hospitals in Marrakesh. There has been a call to give blood. After the Al Hoceima earthquake in 2004, [authorities] put together a mega plan for a rapid intervention,” he told Al Jazeera.
“Teams have been ready for any kind of thing and this is the moment when they are deployed. Each province has its own kind of rescue teams and logistics that deal with this situation but there is also a national intervention that is taking place.”
Qatar offers assistance to Morocco in light of earthquake
Qatar has offered to “provide all necessary assistance to the affected areas to support their recovery from the effects of the earthquake”, according to a statement by Qatar News Agency.
MSF says it’s prepared to respond to Morocco earthquake
Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres, or MSF) says it is prepared to respond to the earthquake in Morocco that killed more than 1,000 people and left many more injured.
Avril Benoît, executive director of MSF-USA, said in a statement on Saturday that people who live in the affected region are “key to the initial response” when searching for survivors.
“Earthquake survivors often require medical care such as surgery or dialysis, which can be a challenge when local health systems are affected by a disaster. Restoring health services and providing essential supplies also can be a priority at this stage. Our response will depend on the needs that are assessed on site,” she said.
Morocco’s African Cup of Nations qualifier postponed in wake of earthquake
Morocco’s qualifying game for the African Cup of Nations has been postponed in the wake of the earthquake that struck the country, killing more than 1,000 people.
Morocco had been scheduled to play Liberia in Agadir on the country’s western coast, but the Moroccan football federation said the game had been postponed indefinitely after an agreement with the Confederation of African Football.
The earthquake struck late Friday night. It has killed hundreds of people and damaged buildings from villages in the Atlas Mountains to the historic city of Marrakesh.
Rescuers struggled to get through boulder-strewn roads to the remote mountain villages hit hardest.
Historic Marrakesh buildings damaged in quake
The historic Moroccan city of Marrakesh suffered extensive damage in the powerful earthquake.
Marrakesh’s famous Koutoubia Mosque, built in the 12th century, was damaged as well, but the extent was not immediately clear, officials have said. Its 69-metre (226-foot) minaret is known as the “roof of Marrakesh”.
Moroccans also posted videos showing damage to parts of the famous red walls that surround the old city, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Next 48-72 hours critical for search and rescue: Red Cross
Caroline Holt, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent, said a massive aid effort will be needed following the “complicated” efforts to search and rescue survivors.
“Efforts will be complicated but these are the initial hours. This happened at night time when people were maybe sleeping in bed so only this morning did we start to see the impact of the earthquake unfold,” she told Al Jazeera.
“Right now and the next 48-72 hours will be critical in terms of life-saving search and rescue efforts in parallel with making sure that those that did survive are taken care of.”
Moroccan troops, emergency services in race against time to reach survivors
Moroccan troops and emergency services are scrambling to reach remote mountain villages where casualties are still feared trapped.
The 6.8-magnitude quake struck late Friday in a mountainous area 72 kilometres (45 miles) southwest of tourist hot spot Marrakesh, the US Geological Survey has reported.
In the mountain village of Moulay Brahim near the quake’s epicentre, rescue teams searched for survivors in the rubble of collapsed houses while residents began digging graves for the dead on a nearby hill.
The army set up a field hospital in the village and deployed “significant human and logistical resources” to support the rescue operation, state news agency MAP reported.
Graffiti artist from Idlib expresses solidarity with Morocco through mural
Aziz Asmar, 50, a graffiti artist from northern Syria, from the city of Idlib, says he is showing support and solidarity with Morocco by drawing a mural with the words “Peace to Morocco” on it.
“Today, we are drawing on the walls of our homes that were destroyed first by Bashar al-Assad’s air force, then by the 6th February earthquake,” said Asmar about his latest mural on Saturday.
The mural is of a Morocco map with the words “Our pain is one.”
“We drew this to send a message of solidarity with our people in Morocco who were saddened by the earthquake disaster today”, Asmar said.
He said that the February 6 earthquake that struck Turkey and northwest Syria and left thousands dead and injured spread the feeling of solidarity with the Moroccan people.
When first watching the news and videos of the Moroccan earthquake, Asmar said he immediately thought of Syria’s own quake.
“I remembered the crying, the loss of loved ones, and the death of our relatives under the rubble”, he said.
“My message is a message of solidarity in which we say to our brothers in Morocco that you are our people and the catastrophe brought us together. We are brothers by blood, land and language.”
US ready to provide assistance to Morocco: Blinken
The United States is ready to provide assistance to Morocco, following the deadly earthquake, Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said in a statement.
“I express my deep sadness at the loss of life and destruction caused by yesterday’s earthquake in Morocco and extend my heartfelt condolences to the families of those affected,” Blinken said.
“The United States is ready to provide any necessary assistance as Morocco responds to this tragedy.”
Moroccan staff helping visitors in quake’s aftermath: Tourist
A 51-year-old police officer from Plymouth in the United Kingdom, who is on holiday in Morocco, has described an atmosphere of support in light of the deadly earthquake that struck on Friday.
Penny Loftus said she used her expertise to help out other guests in the hotel, adding that staff were quick to usher people away from falling debris. Many of the guests stood outside in case of tremors and some slept near the pool, she said.
“Within an hour, chairs, cushions, blankets and towels were handed out. An ambulance had arrived and taken a member of staff to hospital as they had suffered injuries,” she told Al Jazeera.
“Staff made sure all vulnerable guests were identified and attended to. The staff had been up all night but they still put on food for breakfast, which was amazing. We asked about their homes and families and they said all was ok, but everyone is in shock and wondering what will happen next,” she added.
Medical sector in Marrakesh holding up so far: Journalist
Journalist Younis Ezzouhir has told Al Jazeera from Marrakesh that so far, the Mohammed VI University Hospital centre is able to manage earthquake-related injuries coming in, with sufficient medical capabilities and personnel.
Hospitals are working around the clock and coordinating among each other, he said, adding that critical cases are being transferred to the Mohammed VI University Hospital centre.
“Volunteer doctors are coming in to help, as well as private sector doctors coming to public sector hospitals, and doctors of non-urgent care departments providing assistance with urgent cases,” he said.
Private sector ambulances are also helping shuttle survivors to hospitals and emergency rooms, he added.
Continuing efforts to clear roads for search and rescue: Journalist
Journalist Younis Ezzouhir has told Al Jazeera from Marrakesh that efforts are continuing to clear roads to get to more survivors in affected areas in al-Haouz province, especially Talat N’Yaaqoub, a small town and rural commune there.
“This road faced landslides. It is a mountain road, but the nature of the road is that the ground is mud soil, so it is fragile, and with rainfall or earthquakes there can be major amount of dirt and stones falling from the mountains,” Ezzouhir said.
He said that the royal armed forces (the army) began search and rescue operations rescue as well as setting up a field hospital in the mountainous area.
Death toll rises to 1,037: State TV
The death toll from the powerful earthquake that struck Morocco has risen to 1,037, state television quoted the Interior Ministry as saying.
More than 1,200 people were injured in the magnitude 6.8 quake in Morocco’s High Atlas mountains late on Friday night, it added.
Pope expresses ‘profound solidarity’ with Morocco after earthquake: Vatican
Pope Francis has expressed solidarity with Moroccans affected by the earthquake.
“The pope expresses his profound solidarity with those who are touched in the flesh and heart by this tragedy,” read a telegram sent to Morocco by the Vatican’s Secretary of State Pietro Parolin.