Residents of Marrakesh report that several buildings have collapsed. The earthquake that happened after eleven o’clock in the evening caused people to flee to the streets in panic.
In Marrakesh, for example, there are ruins in the old city, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Local media have reported that a huge number of injured people have arrived at hospitals in Marrakesh.
However, according to the Ministry of the Interior, the greatest destruction is outside the cities in the villages of the mountain area.
A resident of the mountain village called Asni, located near the center of the earthquake, says that most of the buildings in the village have been damaged.
– Our neighbors are trapped under the rubble and we are working hard to save them with the available means, he said, according to the Reuters news agency.
Road connections and electricity are cut in some places.
According to the US Geological Survey, the earthquake was the strongest in Morocco in more than 120 years. In the local media, the earthquake has been described as the strongest ever observed in Morocco.
Sources: Reuters, AFP, AP