Morocco woke up in fear. A powerful magnitude 7 earthquake struck the center of the country during the night from Friday to Saturday, causing damage and spreading panic in several cities. At least 1,037 people have died and 1,204 injured, a toll that is expected to rise in the coming hours.
According to Moroccan media, this is the most powerful earthquake to hit the kingdom to date. But Morocco has experienced other devastating earthquakes. On February 24, 2004, an earthquake measuring 6.3 degrees on the Richter scale shook the province of Al Hoceima, 400 kilometers northeast of Rabat, killing 628 people and causing significant material damage.
And on February 29, 1960, a magnitude 5.7 earthquake razed Agadir, on the west coast of the country. The earthquake caused the deaths of more than 12,000 people, or a third of the city’s population.
The rebuilt city two kilometers away
This earthquake was one of the most devastating of the 20th century. Three quarters of the city of Agadir were destroyed. As newspaper archives show The world, the shock was felt around 11:40 p.m., for around ten seconds. It was felt several dozen kilometers away.
The casbah, a fortified citadel which dominated Agadir, was completely razed. French soldiers came to support the rescue, as well as an American plane and Dutch sailors. The city was then completely evacuated, and rebuilt two kilometers further, to move away from the seismic fault.
Original article published on BFMTV.com
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