Morocco Earthquake Death Toll Rises to 820

The death toll from the strong earthquake that occurred late at night on the 8th (local time) in Morocco, North Africa, has risen to 820.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The Moroccan Ministry of Interior disclosed the increased number of casualties in a statement, according to a report by the local state broadcaster on the 9th. The number of injured was counted at 672.

The earthquake occurred at night when response efforts are vulnerable, and there may be additional missing persons buried under building debris, so the number of casualties could increase in the future.

The magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck around 11:11 p.m. the previous day, about 70 km southwest of Marrakech. It was in the Atlas Mountains region near Ouka?meden.

The epicenter depth was 18.5 km, making it the strongest earthquake since the one near Agadir in 1960 that claimed thousands of lives. This strong quake also caused some buildings in the old city center "Medina" of Marrakech, a UNESCO World Heritage site, to collapse. Earthquakes frequently occur in northern Morocco, located between the African and Eurasian plates.