Live Update…
- The death toll has surpassed 1,000 from a powerful 6.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Morocco on Friday night, according to state TV. The toll makes it the deadliest quake to hit the North African country in decades.
- Rescue teams are reportedly struggling to reach the most affected areas, with roads blocked by debris. One witness said, “We are hoping for miracles from the rubble.”
- The epicenter was in the High Atlas mountains, about 72 kilometers (44.7 miles) southwest of Marrakech, a popular tourist city of about 840,000 people. The city’s historic walls, first laid out in the early 12th century, have been damaged.
- The quake was the strongest to hit that part of the North African nation in more than 120 years, according to the US Geological Survey.
Morocco vs. Liberia Africa Cup Of Nations qualifying match postponed due to earthquake
From CNN’s Wayne Sterling
The Morocco vs. Liberia Africa Cup of Nations qualifying match scheduled for Saturday evening has been postponed because of the powerful earthquake that hit Morocco, the Moroccan Football Federation said in a statement.
“Following this great tragedy, the national football family extends its deepest condolences to the families of the victims, and wishes a speedy recovery to all those injured,” according to the statement.
Morocco and Liberia were set to play in the final round of qualifiers for the finals of the African Cup of Nations at Stade d’Agadir in Agadir, Morocco. No makeup date was announced.
Morocco’s magical run in the 2022 FIFA World Cup broke records and inspired praise across the world.
Morocco earthquake death toll surpasses 1,000
The death toll for the Morocco earthquake has risen to 1,037, and more than 1,000 other people have been injured, according to Morocco’s state TV channel Al Aoula, which cited the interior ministry.
The ministry said 721 people are in critical condition.
It is the deadliest earthquake to hit Morocco in decades.
Algeria reopens airspace to and from Morocco for humanitarian aid and medical flights
From CNN’s Celine Alkhaldi and Eve Brennan
Algeria will open its airspace for humanitarian aid and medical flights going to and from Morocco, despite the countries’ strained relations, Algerian state news agency APS reported, citing a statement from the country’s president.
“Algeria expressed today, Saturday, its full readiness to provide humanitarian aid to Morocco and put all the material and human capabilities in the wake of the violent earthquake that struck this country, according to a statement by the Presidency of the Republic,” APS reported.
“The authorities also decided Upper Algeria opened its airspace to flights to transport humanitarian aid and the wounded and injured,” it said.
Key context: Algeria severed diplomatic relations with Morocco in 2021 and closed its airspace to all planes registered in Morocco.
The head coach of the Gambian soccer team describes the moment the earthquake hit
From CNN’s Celine Alkhaldi and Teele Rebane
Tom Saintfiet, head coach of the Gambian national football team, spoke to CNN about being in Marrakech with his team for an upcoming Africa Cup qualifier match against Congo when the earthquake hit.
“First, I thought someone was knocking on my door, then I thought a plane crashed, because our hotel is very close to the airport. But then it got scary. Really scary. The walls were shaking, and things were falling from the ceiling,” Saintfiet told CNN.
He gathered the members of his team, and they spent the night outside by the hotel pool. The coach says many of his players were in shock and had trouble sleeping.
“Some of the players had actually experienced the earthquake in Turkey not too long ago and so having to go through this was a very traumatic moment for them,” he said, referencing the devastating quake from February that killed tens of thousands of people.
The team’s match against Congo is scheduled for Sunday, though it’s unclear whether it will go ahead. ��We don’t know if that game is still going to happen still, due to the casualties, but there is a very good chance it will, so it is a strange moment. A strange situation. We try to cope with it, we try to keep the atmosphere high,” he added.
World leaders send condolences to Morocco, with some countries ready to assist in emergency response
From CNN Staff
The international response to the 6.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Morocco on Friday night has been huge.
More than 800 people have been confirmed dead as rescue operations continue. In the midst of it, world leaders have offered their condolences and commiserations.
In a statement Saturday, US President Joe Biden said he is “deeply saddened” by the quake and that his administration is in contact with Moroccan officials: “We are working expeditiously to ensure American citizens in Morocco are safe and stand ready to provide any necessary assistance for the Moroccan people.” US Secretary of State Antony Blinken also expressed his “deep sadness at the loss of life and destruction” and “heartfelt condolences” to those affected, echoing Biden’s promise of assistance.
French President Emmanuel Macron said Saturday on X, previously known as Twitter: “We are all devastated by the terrible earthquake in Morocco. France is ready to help with the rescue efforts.”
Chinese President Xi Jinping expressed his condolences to Moroccan King Mohammed VI, Chinese state media CCTV announced Saturday, calling the earthquake “shocking.”
“On behalf of the Chinese government and people, I expressed my deepest condolences to the victims, their families, and those injured,” Xi said in the statement. “I believe that under the leadership of Your Majesty the King, the Moroccan government and people can definitely quickly recover from this disaster and rebuild their homes,” he said.
Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelensky sent his “deepest condolences to HM King Mohammed VI and all Moroccans for the lives lost in the horrible earthquake. I wish those injured a fast recovery.”
Russia’s Vladimir Putin reached out to Morocco’s king in a statement published on the Kremlin’s website, adding: “Russia shares the experiences and grief of the friendly people of Morocco.”
President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of Turkey, which experienced its own horrific earthquake earlier this year — as more than 50,000 people were killed in Turkey and Syria — conveyed his “best wishes to all Moroccan people affected by the earthquake disaster in friendly and brotherly Morocco.”
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, and Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo have also said that they and their countries are “with the victims” of the tragedy.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened the G20 summit on Saturday with “heartfelt condolences” to everyone affected by the quake. He later said on his X account that he was “extremely pained by the loss of lives.”
Pope Francis on Saturday expressed his “profound solidarity” with Moroccans hit by the deadly earthquake in a telegram sent to Morocco by the Vatican’s Secretary of State Pietro Parolin. “The Holy Father prays to the most high to support the people of Morocco in this ordeal and offers his encouragement to the civil authorities and rescue services,” it added.
Ready to help: Some countries say they are in touch with Morocco on how to assist the North African nation following the disaster, with Israel and the UAE already preparing to provide assistance on the ground. The United Nations has also said it will provide help.
The French ambassador to Morocco told CNN affiliate BFMTV Saturday that France is in talks with Moroccan authorities to figure out “ways to accompany Morocco in this grave crisis.”
Magen David Adom, Israel’s emergency medical team, is mobilizing and gearing up to leave for Morocco “within the next few hours” according to a statement released Saturday.
“This earthquake demands a wide-reaching response, necessitating collaboration among numerous organizations,” the director general of Magen David Adom, Eli Bin, said in the statement.
Meanwhile, the UAE’s President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan “has directed the establishment of an air bridge to deliver critical relief supplies and other forms of support to those affected by the earthquake that struck various areas of the Kingdom of Morocco.”
Turkey prepared to send personnel and tents to Morocco, emergency authority says
From CNN’s Isil Sariyuce in Istanbul and Jessie Gretener in London
Turkey says it is ready to send 265 personnel and 1,000 tents to Morocco to support aid efforts following the deadly earthquake, according to AFAD, Turkey’s Emergency Management Authority.
In a statement, AFAD said it is responding to calls for international aid from Morocco. “A total of 265 personnel from AFAD, Ministry of Health’s National Rescue Team UMKE, Turkish Red Crescent, and other NGOs are ready to take action,” it said.
AFAD also outlined that it is also able to send 1,000 tents to the region to assist people affected by the earthquake.
“We offer our condolences to the people of Morocco who were affected by the earthquake,” the agency said, according to the statement.
In February, a devastating earthquake hit Turkey, killing at least 45,000 people, rendering millions homeless across almost a dozen cities, and causing immediate damage estimated at $34 billion.
Eyewitnesses describe the destruction in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains following the earthquake
From CNN’s Celine Alkhaldi and Teele Rebane
Fatima, 50, told CNN her house in the town of Asni in the foothills of the High Atlas mountains was destroyed in the earthquake.
“I barely got the chance to grab the kids and run out before I saw my house collapsing in front of my eyes. The neighbor’s house has also collapsed and there are two dead people under the rubble,” she said.
She added that help is yet to arrive in the remote town. “There is no one here to help pull the dead from under the destruction…the village is in very bad condition. There is destruction everywhere.”
Mohammed, 50, from the nearby town of Ouirgane, lost four family members in the quake. “I managed to get out safely with my two children but lost the rest. My house is gone,” he said.
Rescue operations are currently ongoing “We are out in the streets with authorities as they try to pull the dead from the rubble. Many, many people were transported to hospital in front of me. We are hoping for miracles from the rubble” he said.
Mustapha Louaanabi, who also lives in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains described the moment the earthquake struck saying there were “loud, deafening noises” and it felt as if “a train was passing right in the middle of the living room”.
His family fled outside, where they stayed for the rest of the night as aftershocks continued until 8 a.m. “Nobody slept all night because of the aftershocks and the noise of these shocks created panic,” he said.
Louaanabi’s house survived the quake, but a town nearby has been razed to the ground and locals are unable to retrieve bodies from under the rubble he said. Many of the villages in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains close to the epicenter of the quake are isolated and difficult to access.
