A catastrophic 6.8-magnitude earthquake has devastated Morocco, resulting in over 2,000 deaths and leaving more than 2,059 injured, 1,404 critically, according to Morocco’s Interior Ministry. The tremor, the strongest to hit the North African country in 120 years, struck late Friday near the town of Ighil in Al Haouz Province, 44 miles south of Marrakech.
The impact was felt across remote villages and historic cities, causing widespread damage. Buildings in the High Atlas Mountains collapsed, while Marrakech’s iconic Koutoubia Mosque and UNESCO World Heritage site walls suffered damage. King Mohammed VI ordered the military to mobilize specialized search and rescue teams and a surgical field hospital.
In a rare move, Algeria offered to open its airspace for humanitarian aid, despite severing diplomatic ties with Morocco in 2021. Offers for assistance have poured in globally, but Morocco has not formally requested help.