On 8 September 2023 at 23:11 DST (22:11 UTC), an earthquake with a moment magnitude of 6.9 and maximum Mercalli intensity of IX (Violent) struck Morocco's Al Haouz Province. The earthquake's epicenter was 73.4 km (45.6 mi) southwest of Marrakesh, near the town of Ighil and the Oukaïmeden ski resort in the Atlas Mountains. It occurred as a result of shallow oblique-thrust faulting beneath the mountain range. At least 2,960 deaths were reported, with most occurring outside Marrakesh. Damage was widespread, and historic landmarks in Marrakesh were destroyed. The earthquake was also felt in Spain, Portugal, and Algeria.
It is the strongest instrumentally recorded earthquake in Morocco, the deadliest in the country since the 1960 Agadir earthquake, and the second-deadliest earthquake of 2023 after the Turkey–Syria earthquakes. Its magnitude also makes it the largest earthquake on the African continent since the 2006 Mw 7.0 Mozambique earthquake and the largest in North Africa since the 1980 Mw 7.1 El Asnam earthquake. Over 2.8 million people from Marrakesh and areas surrounding the Atlas Mountains were affected, including 100,000 children. Following the earthquake, many countries offered humanitarian assistance, and Morocco announced a three-day period of national mourning. (Full article...)
