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🔴 Live: Morocco declares three days of national mourning after earthquake kills over 2,000 people
Morocco on Saturday declared three days of national mourning after a deadly earthquake overnight. The death toll rose to 2,012 people early Sunday, a statement from the interior ministry said. Read our live blog for all the latest developments. All times are Paris time (GMT+2).
Issued on: 09/09/2023 – 10:15
Modified: 09/09/2023 – 23:02
10 min
Residents stay out at a square following an earthquake in Marrakesh on September 9, 2023.
Residents stay out at a square following an earthquake in Marrakesh on September 9, 2023. © Fadel Senna, AFP
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FRANCE 24
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📞 Crisis and support centres in Morocco and France
The Embassy of France in Morocco and the crisis and support centre of the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs in Paris have opened crisis centres to respond to requests for information or help from French citizens.
In Morocco: +212 537689900
In France: +33 1 43 17 51 00
00:05am: quake death toll rises to 2,012 and 2,059 injured – state TV
The death toll from the Moroccan earthquake rose to 2,012 people, Moroccan state TV said early on Sunday, citing a statement from the interior ministry.
The number of injured rose to 2,059, including 1,404 people who are in a critical condition, it added.
23:20pm: Marrakech to host Cup of Nations clash despite quake
A key Africa Cup of Nations qualifier between Gambia and Congo Brazzaville will go ahead in Marrakech on Sunday despite the earthquake, officials said.
Another final-round qualifier, between qualified Morocco and eliminated Liberia on Saturday in Agadir, a coastal city 260 kilometres (160 miles) southwest of Marrakech, was postponed.
Congolese and Gambian officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, told AFP that the delegations slept outside their hotels in Marrakech.
“We expected the game to be postponed given the circumstances. Our hotel has been partly damaged,” said the Gambian.
The Congolese said: “It is hard to concentrate on a football match, crucial thought it is, after so many people died not far from here.”
Gambia need one point to qualify for the January 13-February 11 Cup of Nations finals as Group G runners-up behind Mali while Congo must win to finish runners-up.
22:53pm: FRANCE 24’s special edition provides more coverage of the earthquake in Morocco
In Morocco, a frantic search for survivors is underway after the death toll soared to at least 1,305 people, mostly in Marrakech and five provinces near the epicenter. Another 1,832 people were injured –1,220 critically – Morocco’s Interior Ministry reported Saturday evening. Please click below to watch FRANCE 24’s special edition on the earthquake.
Rescue and search operations were underway following a deadly earthquake in Morocco on September 9, 2023. 19:41
Rescue and search operations were underway following a deadly earthquake in Morocco on September 9, 2023. © France 24
9:46pm: Race to find survivors as Morocco quake deaths top 1,300
“For now, it’s very, very complicated to get a full picture of the situation on the groud,” said Benoit Carpentier, Manager, Strategy and Global Network at the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). “The epicenter was in a remote area in the mountains [. . .] so for now, we are dealing with the emergency which is to the seach and rescue operations to try to find survivors, and that is the most important operation for the next 48 to 72 hours.”
The IFRC is also taking care of the survivors and the people who are injured.
“Logistics is going to be one of the key struggles that we are going to deal with,” said Carpentier, because accessing people in the mountainous areas and assessing the scale of the disaster and then bringing the necessary aid is going to be one of the key challenges of the operation.
04:31
📞 Crisis and support centres in Morocco and France
The Embassy of France in Morocco and the crisis and support centre of the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs in Paris have opened crisis centres to respond to requests for information or help from French citizens.
In Morocco: +212 537689900
In France: +33 1 43 17 51 00
One French citizen died and eight were injured in the earthquake which struck Morocco late on Friday night, a French Foreign Ministry official confirmed on Saturday.
The French citizen died of a cardiac arrest during the earthquake, the official added, giving further details.
9:04pm: Morocco quake death toll now 1,305
The huge earthquake which hit Morocco overnight killed more than 1,300 people and injured at least another 1,800, many of them critically, the interior ministry said on Saturday.
A total of 1,305 people have now been confirmed dead, while 1,832 people were injured, of whom 1,220 are in a critical condition, a ministry statement said.
7:54pm: Morocco quake response may last years, says Red Cross
Responding to Morocco’s deadliest earthquake in decades could take months if not years, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) warned Saturday.
“We are mobilising now to support the Moroccan Red Crescent,” Hossam Elsharkawi, IFRC’s regional director for the Middle East and North Africa, said in a statement, warning: “We are looking at many months if not years of response.”
7:44pm: Morocco declares three days of mourning after quake
Morocco on Saturday declared three days of national mourning after a deadly earthquake overnight killed more than 1,000 people, an announcement from the royal palace said.
“Three days of national mourning have been decided, with flags to fly at half-mast on all public buildings,” said a statement published by the official MAP news agency after King Mohammed VI chaired a meeting to discuss the disaster.
7:31pm: Air France says its flights to and from all Moroccan airports operate normally
Air France said on Saturday that all its flights to and from Moroccan airports – Marrakech-Menara, Casablanca Mohammed-V and Rabat-Salé – were operating normally.
“Commercial measures are in place, allowing customers with a booking for travel to or from Morocco in the next few days to modify or postpone their trip free of charge,” the airline said.
In conjunction with French and Moroccan authorities, Air France said in a statement that it will study the need to add additional flights or use larger-capacity aircraft on its routes between France and Morocco in the coming days.
7:20pm: Eiffel Tower lights to go dark in tribute to Morocco quake victims
The Eiffel Tower’s lights will go dark at 11 pm (2100 GMT) on Saturday in tribute to victims of Morocco’s earthquake, Agence France Presse reported, citing Paris City Hall.
5:52pm: La Scala cancels concert after Morocco quake disrupts flights
Italy’s famed La Scala opera house cancelled a concert in Brussels Saturday, saying disruption to air traffic in Europe following an earthquake in Morocco left its orchestra and choir grounded.
The orchestra and choir concert conducted by Riccardo Chailly at the Bozar centre for fine arts in Brussels “will not be able to take place due to the impact of the tragic earthquake in Morocco on European air traffic”, La Scala said in a statement.
“The plane that was supposed to transport the 215 orchestral players, choir members and staff from Aalborg, the venue of last night’s concert, to Brussels this morning was grounded at Marrakech Airport,” it said.
“And the impact of the earthquake on several European routes meant that no other solution could be found in time for this evening’s concert,” it added.
6:07pm: Morocco’s African Cup qualifier postponed in wake of deadly earthquake
Morocco’s qualifying game for the African Cup of Nations was postponed on Saturday in the wake of the earthquake that struck the country, killing more than 1,000 people.
Morocco had been scheduled to play Liberia in Agadir on the country’s western coast, but the Moroccan soccer federation said the game had been postponed indefinitely after an agreement with the Confederation of African Football.
3:50pm: ‘People were screaming outside and we didn’t know what was going on’
Mina Binebine, an artist, was at home watching a movie with friends when the earthquake occured last night around 11pm. She said she had experienced earthquakes before, but “this was just insanely strong”. Sirens were going off outside, people were screaming and “we just didn’t know what was going on”, added Binebine.
Binebine noted there was a high level of solidarity and that police and firefighters were working hard to save lives the morning after the quake.
03:48
3:08pm: Spain on edge after tremor felt in Andalusia
“About 20 emergency calls were taken in Andalusia”, said FRANCE 24’s correspondent in Spain, Sarah Morris, “and the National Geographic Institute has confirmed that there was a tremor was felt in Andalusia, basically in cities like Huelva, Sevilla, Cordoba and Malaga.”
This led the Andalusian emergency services to issue some guidelines to the public to tell them what to do in the event of an earthquake. “There is a lot of anxiety in Spain; it has already been hit recently by those strong floods in which several people died,” said Morris.
03:24
3:08pm: Algeria says it will open air space for humanitarian aid to Morocco
Algeria, which broke off ties with Morocco two years ago, said on Saturday it would open its air space for humanitarian and medical flights to Morocco, after a major earthquake there that killed over 1000 people.
Algeria severed diplomatic relations with Morocco in 2021, citing what it said were “hostile acts”. Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said earlier this year that relations between the North African neighbours had reached “a point of no return”.
In a statement on Morocco’s quake, Algeria’s presidency said it was ready to provide humanitarian aid and offer all its material and human capabilities in solidarity with the brotherly Moroccan people, if Morocco requests such help.
3:02pm: Death toll rises to 1,037
More than 1,000 people have been killed and more than 1,200 injured in an earthquake near Marrakech that flattened homes and devastated mountain villages.
The Interior Ministry said Saturday afternoon that the death toll had reached 1,037, with 1,204 injured, 721 of them critically. The casualty toll was expected to climb as rescuers reached remote areas and dug through rubble for survivors or bodies.
1:52pm: Interior ministry issues death toll for different provinces
Morocco’s interior ministry on Saturday issued a death toll for the country’s different provinces.
These are the numbers: (the latest update was carried out at 10am local time, or 0900 GMT)
Al Haouz: 394
Taroudant: 271
Chichaoua: 91
Ouarzazate: 31
Marrakech : 13
Azilal: 11
Agadir Ida Outanane: 5
Greater Casablanca: 3
Youssoufia: 1
1:15pm: From Biden to Xi and the pope, world leaders express support for Morocco
US President Joe Biden on Saturday joined the chorus of world leaders to express their support for Morocco.
“I am deeply saddened by the loss of life and devastation caused by the earthquake in Morocco,” he said in a statement, adding the US is “ready to provide any necessary assistance”.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with all those impacted by this terrible hardship.”
China’s President Xi Jinping sent a message to express his “deep grief for the victims and sincere condolences to the families”, and said he hoped the country would be able to rebuild itself soon.
And Pope Francis expressed his “profound solidarity”.
12:18pm: ‘The earth started moving,’ FRANCE 24’s Wassim Nasr reports from Marrakech
‘The earth started moving… Everything started to fall down in a few seconds… The most impressive thing was the crowds screaming and running in those very narrow streets,’ FRANCE 24’s Wassim Nasr, who was in the Marrakech when the quake struck, reports from Morocco.
05:57
11:45am: Death toll surpasses 800
The Moroccan interior ministry on Saturday once again revised the death toll of the massive earthquake, putting it at 820, with at least 672 injured.
11:19am: Epicentre difficult to reach, heavy casualties expected
The epicentre of Friday’s earthquake is located in a very remote mountainous area and will be very difficult for rescue teams to reach, FRANCE 24’s Foreign Editor James Andre explained, noting the casualty figures are therefore expected to rise.
“For now we don’t have any reports on what the situation in this area is exactly, only witnesses saying they haven’t been able to contact their families, or, as one lady was saying, that she had members of her family killed for sure,” he said.
“We can expect massive damage and heavy casualties.”
Watch the full analysis in the video below:
Rescue and search operations were underway following a deadly earthquake in Morocco on September 9, 2023. 19:41
Rescue and search operations were underway following a deadly earthquake in Morocco on September 9, 2023. © France 24
10:29am: Condolences pour in for Morocco, including from Ukraine, Russia and Turkey
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday expressed solidarity with Morocco, expressing his country’s deepest condolences “for the lives lost in the horrible earthquake”.
“I wish those injured a fast recovery. Ukraine stands in solidarity with Morocco during this tragic time,” he wrote on social media.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin followed suit.
“In Russia, we share the pain and the mourning of the friendly Moroccan people,” he said in message to Morocco’s King Mohammed VI.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose country – along with Syria – was struck by devastating earthquakes in February this year, said: “We stand by our Moroccan brothers with all our means in this difficult day.”
In a separate statement, the Turkish foreign ministry said Ankara was ready to provide all kinds of support “to heal the wounds of the earthquake in Morocco”.
9:59am: France’s Macron ‘devastated’ by Morocco quake, promises aid
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French President Emmanuel Macron said Saturday he was “devastated” by the earthquake in Morocco, which has killed at least 600 people, and offered to help relief efforts.
“We are all devastated after the terrible earthquake in Morocco,” Macron said on X, formerly known as Twitter, while onboard a flight to the G20 summit in India. “France stands ready to help with first aid.”
8:48am: Death toll climbs
The earthquake has killed at least 632 people and injured 329 others, according to an updated interior ministry toll.
Of those injured, 51 are in critical condition, the ministry said.
(FRANCE 24 with AP, AFP, Reuters)
