632 people died due to earthquake in Morocco, Ministry of Interior said – the figure may increase. Loktej World News

Rabat, 09 September (HS). A powerful earthquake struck the High Atlas mountains late Friday in Morocco, causing widespread damage. So far 632 people have died. This figure is increasing continuously. All the buildings have been destroyed. People in major cities have had to leave their homes.

In media reports, quoting the Moroccan Interior Ministry, it has been said that 632 people have died so far and the number of injured has increased to 329. The death toll may increase. A local official said most of the deaths occurred in hilly areas, which were difficult to reach immediately.

Reports quoted people in Marrakesh, a large city close to the epicenter, as saying that some buildings in the old city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, have collapsed. A local television showed footage of a fallen mosque minaret and debris lying on damaged cars. In a televised statement on the death toll, the Interior Ministry urged people to maintain calm. The ministry said the earthquake most affected the provinces of Al Houz, Ouarzazate, Marrakesh, Ajilal, Chichoua and Taroudant.

Most of the houses in our village have been damaged, said Montasir Itari from the mountainous village of Asni, near the epicenter. Neighbors are buried under the debris. The villagers are working hard to save them with their own resources. Hamid Afkar, a teacher living in a nearby village, said the earth shook for about 20 seconds. He ran down the second floor of the house. The doors were opening and closing on their own.

Morocco’s geophysics center said the quake occurred in the Ighil region of the High Atlas. Its intensity on the Richter scale was 7.2. The US Geological Survey put the magnitude of the earthquake at 6.8. He stated that it was at a relatively shallow depth of 18.5 kilometers (11.5 mi).