9/9/23

By Aditi Jha

In Morocco, an immensely powerful earthquake struck on Friday night, killing over 2000 people and injuring thousands. It's been over six decades since an earthquake with a similar size hit Morocco, though Lahcen Mhanni, Head of the Seismic Monitoring and Warning Department at the National Institute of Geophysics, told 2M TV that it was the strongest earthquake ever recorded in the region. The 6.8 magnitude earthquake destroyed several buildings and ancient structures that couldn't handle the force, such as the famous Koutoubia Mosque, which was constructed in the 12th century (from 1147 to 1157). At about 5:11 p.m. CT and 11:11 p.m. local time, the earthquake hit in the High Atlas mountain range. Though the epicenter was almost forty-five miles away from the popular tourist destination of Marrakech, the earthquake's effects stretched all the way to Casablanca, affecting over 300,000 people and obliterating villages, towns and cities such as Asni, Taroudant, Ouirgane, Ijjoukak and Al Haouz. Residents of Ijjoukak estimated almost 200 buildings had been destroyed. According to the Portuguese Institute for Sea and Atmosphere and Algeria's Civil Defense agency, the effects of the earthquake were felt as far as Portugal and Algeria. There are three days of national mourning taking place in Morocco with flags at half-staff and prayers being held at mosques for all those who had died. Professor emeritus of geophysical and climate hazards at University College London, Bill McGuire, told the Associated Press that "The problem is that where destructive earthquakes are rare, buildings are simply not constructed robustly enough to cope with strong ground shaking, so many collapse, resulting in high casualties." France, Turkey (where February earthquakes killed over 50,000), the United Nations, the World Bank, India, China, Ukraine, Russia, Pope Francis, the US and others have sent condolences or offered support. Algeria closed its airspace with Morocco in 2021 due to issues and disputes over the Western Sahara, but in an unexpected turn of events, they offered to open it again to allow the flow of humanitarian aid or medical evacuation flights. President Joe Biden said at a news conference in Hanoi, Vietnam, that "We stand ready to provide any necessary assistance to the Moroccan people," also expressing "sadness about the loss of life and devastation." Morocco's king, Mohammed VI, ordered search and rescue teams and a surgical field hospital. Though the earthquake had a preliminary magnitude of 6.8, a magnitude 4.9 aftershock occurred 19 minutes after the original shaking. In 1960, a 5.8 magnitude earthquake happened near Agadir, Morocco, and killed thousands. In 2004, a 6.4 magnitude earthquake near Al Hoceima killed over 600. 

That's the news for today! Stay safe!