Rabat (Morocco): At least two thousand people were killed and 1400 were critically injured after a powerful earthquake hit Morocco on Friday night, an official said.
An earthquake of magnitude 6.8 on the Richter scale hit 56 km W of Oukaïmedene, Morocco late on Friday night, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported.
The earthquake took place at 03:41:01 (UTC+05:30) at a depth of 18.5 km. The magnitude of the earthquake caused pulses to travel from Sidi Ifni in the south to Rabat in the north and beyond.
The epicentre is 72 kilometres west of Marrekesh, a major economic centre.
According to the USGS, its epicentre was found to be Latitude: 31.110°N and Longitude: 8.440°W respectively.
Videos and pictures shared on social media showed mountains of rubble and dust clouds as walls gave way to the earthquake’s intensity. In other posts, frightened locals could be seen fleeing into the street and out of nearby buildings in search of safety.
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.
(With input from agencies)