Magnitude 6.8 earthquake hits Morocco on Friday, 296 killed

– A magnitude 6.8 earthquake shook Morocco on Friday, killing at least 296 people and damaging buildings and landmarks in a number cities, including Marrakech, according to local authorities.

The casualties occurred in provinces around the earthquake, with over 150 injuries reported so far, the Moroccan Ministry of Interior said, noting that most damages are outside urban areas.

The earthquake’s epicentre was at a depth of 18.5km and occurred in the Atlas Mountains near the town of Oukaïmedene, roughly 75 kilometres southwest of Marrakech, according to the US Geological Survey.

Meanwhile, the National Institute of Geophysics of Morocco recorded the earthquake’s magnitude at 7.