Africa

BREAKING: At least 630 dead as powerful earthquake hits Morocco

Published

2 years ago

September 9, 2023

BREAKING: At least 630 dead as powerful earthquake hits Morocco

A magnitude 6.8 earthquake has hit Morocco, killing at least 630 people, injuring more than 320, damaging buildings and sending terrified residents fleeing their homes into the streets for safety.

Morocco’s state television reported the doubling of the death toll on Saturday morning from overnight, citing the Ministry of Interior. Of those injured, 51 were in a critical condition.

Residents of Marrakesh, the nearest big city to the epicentre, said some buildings collapsed in the old city, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Local television showed images of a fallen mosque minaret with rubble lying on smashed cars.

The earthquake hit shortly after 11pm local time (22:00 GMT) on Friday evening, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

The USGS estimates the epicentre of the earthquake occurred in the Atlas Mountains, some 75km (44 miles) from Marrakesh, the fourth largest city in the country.

Search teams frantically scoured collapsed buildings for those trapped.

“The Royal Armed Forces, local authorities, security services and civil protection … continue to mobilise and harness all means and capabilities in order to intervene, provide the necessary assistance, and assess the damage,” the interior ministry said.

Journalist Noureddine Bazine from Marrakesh described the situation as an “horrific night”.

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“It was chaos the moment the earthquake happened, we’re still try to process what happened because it was so sudden,” she told Al Jazeera. “In Marrakesh, the most damage was in the old city because the buildings are prone to collapse because of their fragile state.”

Eid al-Tarazi, a professor of seismology in Jordan, told Al Jazeera “hundreds of aftershocks could happen”.

“People will need to stay away from the buildings that are not strong because they are prone to collapse. We expect the aftershocks could continue for three to four weeks,” he said.

Local media reported roads leading to the mountain region around the epicentre were jammed with vehicles and blocked with collapsed rocks, slowing rescue efforts.

Abderrahim Ait Daoud, the head of a town in the area, told the Moroccan news site 2M that several homes nearby had partly or totally collapsed, and electricity and roads were cut off in some places.

He also said authorities were working to clear roads in al-Haouz province to allow passage for ambulances and aid to populations affected. Large distances between mountain villages mean it will take time to learn the full extent of the damage, he added.

Moroccans posted videos showing buildings reduced to rubble and dust, and parts of the famous red walls that surround the old city in Marrakesh damaged.

Tourists and others posted videos of people screaming and evacuating restaurants in the city. Shocked residents in Marrakesh and Casablanca fled out of buildings and onto the streets.

One Marrakesh resident, Brahim Himmi, said he spotted ambulances leaving the city’s historic old town. He also said building facades had been damaged as the earth shook.

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While earthquakes in the region are “uncommon but not unexpected”, one of this magnitude has not been seen in the immediate area in more than 120 years.

“Since 1900, there have been no earthquakes M6 [magnitude 6] or larger within 500km of this earthquake, and only nine M5 [magnitude 5] and larger,” the USGS said on its website.

Most of those previous earthquakes occurred further to the east as well, the agency added.

Friday evening’s earthquake was a relatively shallow one, occurring at a depth of 18.5km (11.5 miles). The USGS explained that “oblique-reverse faulting” in the Atlas Mountains was the cause of the earthquake.

The last major earthquake to strike Morocco occurred in 2004, killing more than 600 people. That temblor, dubbed the al-Hoceima earthquake, was positioned on an active plate boundary on the country’s northernmost coast, bordering the western Mediterranean Sea. It clocked in at a magnitude of 6.3.

An even larger earthquake struck neighbouring Algeria in 1980. Known as the el-Asnam earthquake, the magnitude 7.3 event was the strongest seismic activity the region had seen in centuries. Also originating in the Atlas Mountain range, it levelled houses, leaving 300,000 people on the street and at least 2,600 people dead.

Messages of support began to roll in from around the world on Saturday.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz posted condolences on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, currently hosting the Group of 20 summit of the world’s largest economies, wrote, “India is ready to offer all possible assistance to Morocco in this difficult time.”

A UN spokesperson said “the United Nations is ready to assist the government of Morocco in its efforts to assist the impacted population”.

BREAKING: At least 630 dead as powerful earthquake hits Morocco

aljazeera

Related Topics:Earthquake Featured Morocco

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JUST IN: ECOWAS Declares State of Emergency Across West Africa Amid Rising Coups

Published

1 week ago

December 9, 2025

Trends Admin

JUST IN: ECOWAS Declares State of Emergency Across West Africa Amid Rising Coups

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has declared a regional state of emergency following a surge of coups and mutinies in the sub-region, signaling urgent measures to protect democracy and regional security.

The announcement was made by ECOWAS Commission President Omar Touray on Tuesday during the 55th session of the Mediation and Security Council at the ministerial level in Abuja, Nigeria. Touray emphasized that the developments “highlight the imperative of serious introspection on the future of our democracy and the urgent need to invest in the security of our community.”

The emergency declaration comes in the wake of a string of unconstitutional power grabs, including the recent failed coup in Benin, where rogue soldiers briefly seized state institutions before loyalist forces, supported by regional intervention, restored constitutional order. (Reuters)

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Under the new posture, ECOWAS plans to activate its Standby Force and coordinate with member states to prevent further destabilization, safeguard borders, and protect vulnerable populations, including potential refugee flows across the West Africa region.

Security analysts note that West Africa has faced several recent coups and botched mutinies, raising concerns about the durability of democratic institutions. ECOWAS’ state of emergency is a decisive step aimed at deterring future attempts to overthrow legitimate governments and reinforcing the bloc’s role as a guarantor of constitutional order and regional stability.

Touray affirmed that ECOWAS’ proactive stance demonstrates the bloc’s commitment to preventing the spread of insecurity, protecting cross-border trade, and ensuring that democracy and human rights remain central to West Africa’s development.

JUST IN: ECOWAS Declares State of Emergency Across West Africa Amid Rising Coups

Africa

Nigeria withdraws fighter jets as Benin recovers after failed coup attempt

Published

1 week ago

December 7, 2025

Trends Admin

Nigeria withdraws fighter jets as Benin recovers after failed coup attempt

Nigeria has withdrawn the fighter aircraft it deployed in the Benin Republic following Sunday’s attempted coup, after security assessments confirmed that the situation in the neighbouring country has stabilised. Security sources said the aircraft—initially dispatched from Lagos for surveillance and regional monitoring—were recalled on Sunday afternoon when updated intelligence indicated that the crisis no longer posed “immediate threat to Nigeria’s territorial security.”

The failed coup, aimed at toppling the democratic government of President Patrice Talon, began with an early morning assault on the presidential residence in Cotonou.

Mutinous soldiers, dressed in full military uniform, attempted to seize power but were repelled by loyal forces. Unable to capture the President, the rebels proceeded to take over the Office de Radiodiffusion et Télévision du Bénin (ORTB), briefly controlling the national broadcast signal.

The crisis escalated rapidly, but the Beninese National Guard responded decisively, surrounding the television station and blocking the mutineers’ escape routes.

By late Sunday, loyalist security units had secured all major government installations, restoring order across the capital city.

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“The situation is under control. The National Guard has everything surrounded,” a senior security official said, noting that negotiations were initiated to persuade the barricaded mutineers to surrender peacefully.

President Talon, reported safe in an undisclosed location, has yet to address the nation. Meanwhile, the streets of Cotonou remained tense but calm, with no reports of widespread violence or civilian casualties.

Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga confirmed in a statement on X that the coup had collapsed.

“Mutineers in military uniform who attempted to overthrow President Patrice Talon’s democratic government have failed. They seized the National TV after failing to enter the presidential residence,” he wrote.

He added that Colonel Pascal Tigri, the alleged leader of the mutiny, was on the run, while several members of the group had been apprehended.

Benin’s Interior Minister Alassane Seidou also appeared on national television, confirming that the military uprising had been foiled. “Early on Sunday, 7 December 2025, a small group of soldiers launched a mutiny aimed at destabilising the state and its institutions. The armed forces remained loyal to the republic, and their response allowed them to foil the attempt,” he said.

The Beninese government has since urged citizens to resume their normal activities, assuring the public that the security situation remains firmly under control.

Nigeria withdraws fighter jets as Benin recovers after failed coup attempt

Africa

Dozen Soldiers Held as Benin Govt Thwarts Coup Against President Patrice Talon

Published

1 week ago

December 7, 2025

Trends Admin

President Patrice Talon

Dozen Soldiers Held as Benin Govt Thwarts Coup Against President Patrice Talon

Authorities in Benin Republic have arrested about a dozen soldiers following Sunday’s attempted coup, with security and military sources confirming that several of the suspected masterminds are already in custody. According to reliable sources, at least 13 suspects have been detained, including one former service member.

The arrests came after a group of military officers stormed the national broadcaster on Sunday morning, declaring that President Patrice Talon had been removed and that all state institutions had been dissolved. The officers, who identified themselves as the Military Committee for Refoundation, claimed to have taken control of government operations.

However, the presidency swiftly debunked the announcement, assuring citizens that President Talon remained safe and that loyal forces had regained control of critical installations.

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“This is a small group of people who only control the television. The regular army is regaining control. The city and the country are completely secure,” the presidency said.

Government officials have described the uprising as the action of a fringe faction with no real command of state power. The Interior Ministry also confirmed that the coup attempt was foiled within hours, following coordinated military intervention across Cotonou.

The thwarted coup has drawn immediate reactions from regional bodies, with ECOWAS and the African Union condemning the attempted takeover and calling for strict adherence to constitutional order. The incident adds to rising concerns over political instability in West Africa, which has witnessed a wave of military takeovers in recent years, including in Niger, Burkina Faso, Mali and Guinea-Bissau.

Security analysts say the swift suppression of the rebellion demonstrates the resilience of Benin’s democratic institutions, even as the country remains on high alert for collaborators or remaining pockets of resistance.