Morocco earthquake: Country in mourning for over 2,000 killed

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Morocco earthquake Country in mourning

Badaoui Rouhban, a former UNESCO official on disaster prevention, says that the reconstruction of the damaged buildings can take from months to years.

News Desk

RABAT: The Moroccan government has declared three days of national mourning.The Interior Ministry says 2,012 people have been killed and 2,059 injured in Friday’s devastating temblor, with 1,404 in critical condition.

The magnitude 6.8 earthquake did not hit the most active seismological region, but more aftershocks can be expected, an expert says.The EU and its members have sent a letter to Moroccan King Mohammed VI, conveying their solidarity and condolences.

The Moroccan government has declared three days of national mourning. The Interior Ministry says 2,012 people have been killed and 2,059 injured in Friday’s devastating temblor, with 1,404 in critical condition.

The magnitude 6.8 earthquake did not hit the most active seismological region, but more aftershocks can be expected, an expert says. The EU and its members have sent a letter to Moroccan King Mohammed VI, conveying their solidarity and condolences.

Badaoui Rouhban, a former UNESCO official on disaster prevention, says that the reconstruction of the damaged buildings can take from months to years.

“What we need now is to take lesson from what happened to strengthen the current buildings,” he said.The expert added that the construction process of the new ones should be carried out in line with strengthened regulations.He also said that the authorities should work to raise awareness among families and students in schools.

More tremors were felt in the city of Marrakesh and surrounding areas Sunday morning, tremors that are likely aftershocks, according to Khadijah Satou, a resident of the city.

“We felt the ground moving,” Satou told Al Jazeera.

“No damage but it’s highly noticeable,” she added, saying her colleagues and she felt the brief tremors in their office building.Her mother, who lives on the outskirts of the city, also felt them, Satou said.

The tremors were of a magnitude of 4.5, according to the Earthquake app, which monitors seismic activity and sends alerts to smartphone users.