More than 2,000 people are dead following a 6.8 magnitude earthquake in Morocco on Friday.
Thousands of people are presumed injured, with at least 2,000 killed after the quake struck at a shallow depth of just 16 miles in a rural part of the Atlas mountain range, roughly 50 miles southwest of Marrakech at 11:11 p.m. local time, according to the United States Geological Survey. At least one major aftershock, ranking at a 4.9 magnitude on the Richter scale, was reported by the USGS National Earthquake Information Center, roughly 20 minutes after the initial quake.
Footage shared online shows people running for their lives as buildings shook and started to collapse during the 7-second event. The event was so powerful that shaking was felt as far east as Algeria.
#BREAKING UPDATE While you slept, here is CCTV footage I Authenticated of the heartbreaking moment in Morocco 🇲🇦 where at least 296 people are reported dead and over 150 injured after a 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit the country. This is very sad. They even felt it in Algeria 🇩🇿… pic.twitter.com/kcGdpXeElk
— Dr Olukemi Olunloyo (@Kemiolunloyo) September 9, 2023
In another clip, you can see the panic in the eyes and body language of wedding guests as the earthquake started. Musicians and guests can be seen fleeing the building, which is not always the safest thing to do in these events.
This is the moment the Morocco earthquake struck in Marrakesh, interrupting a wedding performance on September 8.
Friday’s earthquake, the country’s deadliest in 60 years, has killed at least 2,500 people.
Latest: https://t.co/7p0XmZ4ZD2 pic.twitter.com/XTjOfbi2a8
— BBC News Africa (@BBCAfrica) September 11, 2023
With the help of some heavy equipment, locals are unpacking the rubble and chaos with their bare hands, attempting to pull survivors from the wreckage, France24 said in a video shared on Twitter.
🇲🇦 Using heavy equipment and even their bare hands, rescuers in #Morocco continue their efforts to find survivors of a devastating earthquake that has so far killed more than 2,100 people.
FRANCE 24’s @yinka_oyetade brings us the latest news from the rescue operation. pic.twitter.com/ce9k25Bn8j
— FRANCE 24 English (@France24_en) September 11, 2023
Many people are sharing footage of a blue light, and glowing orbs that allegedly appeared just before the earthquake struck. These videos have yet to be verified, and probably won’t be by governmental agencies. (RELATED: National Hurricane Center Identifies Four Areas Of Activity In Atlantic. Could Fall Be Defined By Major Hurricanes?)
🇲🇦 Just before the earthquake in Turkey, shortly before the earthquake, mysterious luminous objects were visible in the sky of Morocco.
— Lord Bebo (@MyLordBebo) September 11, 2023
The earthquake was caused by an oblique reverse faulting along an east-west oriented fault, potentially the North Atlas fault. The exact fault and final magnitude likely won’t be known for some time, as data is still coming in from multiple international agencies.