- The powerful earthquake, with a magnitude of 6.8, struck Amizmiz village, located approximately 64km south of Marrakesh on Saturday, causing significant damage to buildings and a UNESCO world heritage site in Ighil, an ancient city
- Moroccan state media reported at least 820 fatalities and 672 injuries, with most casualties occurring in remote mountainous regions
President Bola Tinubu has expressed his deep condolences to King Mohammed VI of Morocco following the tragic earthquake on Friday, which claimed the lives of over 800 people.
In a statement titled ‘Earthquake: President Tinubu sends condolences to King of Morocco,’ he assured Morocco of Nigeria’s unwavering support during their recovery and rebuilding process.
“In the face of this adversity, Nigeria will continue to stand in solidarity with Morocco as they recover, rebuild and come out stronger than ever from this unfortunate event,” the President assured Mohammed VI in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale on Saturday
A powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 struck the village of Amizmiz, located about 64km south of Marrakesh on Saturday, resulting in significant damage to buildings and a UNESCO world heritage site in the ancient city of Ighil.
Moroccan state media reported at least 820 fatalities and 672 injuries, with most of the casualties occurring in remote mountainous areas.
President Tinubu extended his sympathies to the families who lost loved ones and all those affected by the tragedy, wishing a swift recovery to the injured. He conveyed the heartfelt prayers and thoughts of Nigerians to Morocco during this challenging time.
King Mohammed VI has taken extensive measures, mobilizing armed forces, search and rescue teams, and a surgical field hospital, indicating the immense scale of the disaster. Despite offers of assistance from world leaders, the Moroccan government has not formally requested aid, a necessary step for deploying rescue teams.
This earthquake is described as Morocco’s deadliest since 2004, when a tremor in the northern Rif mountains claimed the lives of over 600 people.