Situation Overview

1,037 people have been confirmed to have lost their lives, and 672 others wounded, including 205 in critical condition, when a powerful earthquake with a magnitude of 6.8 struck the Kingdom of Morocco’s High Atlas Mountain range on 8 September at 23:11 local time, at a depth of 18.5 kilometers. The epicenter was located about 72 kilometers (44.7 miles) southwest of Marrakech, a city with a population of 840,000 people. There was a 4.9 aftershock 19 minutes later and several more have been reported.

As of 9 September, 13:27 local time, Moroccan authorities have reported at least 1,037 people as having lost their life in the provinces and municipalities of al-Haouz, Marrakesh, Ouarzazate, Azilal, Chichaoua and Taroudant. Morocco’s National Institute of Geophysics stated that this level of seismic activity is the first recorded in a century in the country.