Morocco has revised upward the death toll from a powerful earthquake that shook Marrakesh and surrounding regions. The Interior Ministry said late Saturday that 2,012 people were killed when the temblor struck late Friday. The toll is expected to rise as rescuers struggled to reach hard-hit remote areas. The ministry said the highest number of deaths were recorded in Al Haouz province, with 1,293 killed; and Taroudant, with 452.
At least 2,059 people were injured, including 1,404 critically. The government also announced three days of national mourning. The magnitude 6.8 quake on Friday was the biggest to hit the North African country in 120 years.
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People were jolted out of bed Friday night by the magnitude 6.8 quake, a rarity in Morocco. In addition to the dead and injured, scores of structures not built to withstand such a powerful temblor crashed to the ground. The dead are mostly in Marrakech and the five provinces near the quake's epicenter, Morocco's Interior Ministry reported Saturday morning.
President Joe Biden was among world leaders expressing sadness at the devastation. “We are working expeditiously to ensure American citizens in Morocco are safe, and stand ready to provide any necessary assistance for the Moroccan people. The United States stands by Morocco and my friend King Mohammed VI at this difficult moment," Biden said.
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Turkiye, which lost tens of thousands of people in a massive earthquake earlier this year, was among those proposing assistance. France and Germany, with large populations of people with Moroccan origins, also offered to help. Israel's Foreign Ministry said the government has been in touch with Moroccan officials about the possibility of providing help or rescue assistance.
