Nearly 300 Killed In Powerful Earthquake In Morocco, PM Modi Says India Ready To Help

In a tragic incident, a strong earthquake of magnitude 6.8 struck Morocco’s High Atlas mountains late on Friday, killing at least 296 people and destroying buildings, reported Reuters. According to the report, the Interior Ministry said the number constituted a preliminary death toll and that 153 people had been injured. Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the incident and offered all possible help to Morocco.

“Extremely pained by the loss of lives due to an earthquake in Morocco. In this tragic hour, my thoughts are with the people of Morocco. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover at the earliest. India is ready to offer all possible assistance to Morocco in this difficult time,” PM Modi.

Extremely pained by the loss of lives due to an earthquake in Morocco. In this tragic hour, my thoughts are with the people of Morocco. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover at the earliest. India is ready to offer all possible assistance to…

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 9, 2023

According to Aljazeera, most of the casualties and damage occurred near the epicentre of the quake in provincial areas, the interior ministry said. The report added that the earthquake’s epicentre was at a relatively shallow depth of 18.5 km and occurred about 72 km (44 miles) southwest of Marrakesh and 56 km (around 35 miles) west of the town of Oukaimeden. The tremor struck just after 11 pm local time (22:00 GMT), according to the United States Geological Survey, the report added.

Residents of Marrakech (the nearest major city to the epicentre) said that some buildings in the ‘Old City’, which is a UNESCO World Heritage site, got toppled that day. Reuters cited the reports of local media channels that showed pictures of a fallen mosque minaret with rubble lying on smashed cars. 

The local official said that most of the deaths were recorded in the mountainous areas which were hard to reach.

According to the Pan-Arab al-Arabiya news channel, five people were killed from only one family, whereas, a local news site Goud.ma reported that around 50 people died, Reuters reported.