According to the most recent report from the Moroccan Interior Ministry, a large earthquake that slammed central Morocco on Friday night resulted in at least 2,122 fatalities and 2,421 injuries.
The ministry noted in a news statement on Sunday that 1,351 of the fatalities were recorded in the Al Haouz Province, 492 in the Taroudant Province, 201 in Chichaoua, and 17 in Marrakesh.
According to local media, highways leading up to the most impacted communities in the Atlas Mountains region were allegedly blocked by falling stones, making it difficult for Moroccan army and rescue services to access them.
Residents in Marrakesh told reporters earlier in the day that aftershocks were still being felt.
More than 300,000 people in the historic old city and its environs have reportedly been impacted by the calamity, according to estimates from the World Health Organization.
Increased casualties are anticipated. The conditions on the ground presented a significant obstacle to search and rescue operations, according to the Moroccan Red Crescent (MRC), and “getting heavy machinery into those remote areas of the Atlas Mountains to help with that is a priority.”
The MRC and other first responders were working around the clock to identify and prioritize the most serious cases as more people were being rescued from the wreckage, the MRC said in a statement.
According to the US Geological Survey, the earthquake struck Morocco on Friday at 11:11 p.m. local time at a depth of 18.5 kilometers.
