Closing summary
We’re now closing down this live blog. Here’s a summary of the main developments:
More than 1,000 people have been killed in Morocco after a powerful earthquake hit several towns and cities, the interior ministry told state TV, adding that more than 1,200 have been injured. A search for survivors continues.
A local official said most deaths were in mountainous areas that were hard to reach.
Scientists said the earthquake, which was centred in Ighil, measured at least 6.8 magnitude, though some readings have it higher. It was said to be a relatively shallow earthquake – usually the most destructive sort.
In Marrakech, some buildings in the old city, a Unesco world heritage site, have been damaged or destroyed.
Several world leaders, including Emmanuel Macron, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Narendra Modi and Olaf Scholz, have sent messages of support.
If you’d like to read more, my colleague Ruth Michaelson has this report:
Updated
The Guardian’s pictures team have put together some of the most striking images to have come from Morocco today:
Updated
The Guardian’s video team has put together this roundup of the news from Morocco.
Updated
Sociologist Amro Ali, who lives in the northern port city of Casablanca almost 270 miles from Ighil, described how the force of the quake jolted his home.
My wife identified what was happening. As she has a little more experience with earthquakes, she ran and hid under the table, so I did the same. I also went to shut off the gas. Of course, it was frightening. The one reassuring part was that nothing was falling, but still it was completely disorienting.
Then we opened the front doors and everyone was running out trying to evacuate, people were shouting and screaming. Everything was mayhem, people ran out in whatever clothes they were wearing and went down to the street. Then they began to talk about aftershocks.
By the following day, Ali described a sense of eerie calm amid growing concern for the situation in remote villages.
These are the ones likely to be worst affected because of the lower quality construction materials used and also the slow response of the emergency services to make it to these rugged areas.
In Moulay Brahim, a tent typically used for celebrations has been erected for shelter in the square, the AP reported. Fathers sobbed into phones telling loved ones about losing their children. Bodies covered with blankets lay in the health centre next to a mosque as doctors pulled shards from people’s feet and treated surface wounds.
“There’s nothing to do but pray,” Hamza Lamghani, who lost five of his closest friends, told the news agency.
Amid shock and devastation that jolted people in towns and cities for miles around the epicentre of a powerful earthquake in Morocco, people across the country described paralysing fear of further aftershocks and widespread confusion. Bode Shonibare, a British-Nigerian banker visiting his wife’s family in a northern district of Marrakech – the major city closest to the epicentre, said:
For the first few seconds, you don’t know what’s happening. My wife called out to me and obviously we both jumped for our daughter. My wife picked up the baby and we ran outside but we weren’t sure what we were meant to do.
The earthquake struck shortly after 11pm local time, sending stone buildings and pieces of a towering minaret tumbling in central Marrakech and causing widespread panic far from the rural town of Ighil in the Al Haouz province; some 44 miles south of Marrakech.
Once Shonibare, his wife and their daughter, who is just a few weeks old, reached the street he described a scene of “absolute chaos”.
Everyone ran outside, people were in shock, crying as they held their babies in their hands. The streets were jammed with people. Everyone was terrified to go back into their houses as they just didn’t know if that was the end or if it might continue.
We stood outside for another hour or two trying to figure out what had happened. There were fire trucks and ambulances zooming past us, it was all so chaotic. Then after 40 minutes everyone just sat on the pavement in the street just kind of waiting. We didn’t know what was happening.
Congo and Gambia’s African Cup of Nations qualifier in Marrakech will go ahead as scheduled on Sunday despite the earthquake, Reuters reports. However, Saturday’s match between Morocco and Liberia in Agadir – about 160 miles (260km) away from the epicentre – has been postponed.
The Congo and Gambia squads spent the night sleeping beside their respective hotel pools after the quake. The coaches of both teams said their players were traumatised by the event, but had been told they must go ahead with their match.
Sunday’s Group G decider between Gambia and Congo is being played in Marrakech because Gambia do not have a stadium suitable for hosting international matches. Gambia coach Tom Saintfiet has told Reuters:
We have been told our match on Sunday must go ahead. It’s quite strange that the Morocco game is off but ours is not.
We have been outside for some 13-14 hours now. The hotel is damaged but we can hopefully get new rooms on the ground. But we think it is best this game is postponed because the mood among the players is understandably sombre and everyone is a little scared.
Congo’s coach Paul Put said his players were unharmed.
We are OK but still in shock. Mentally, it’s difficult to keep up the concentration. We had to sleep outside, near the swimming pool. It was very scary and even now a complicated situation for the players.
Reuters said CAF were asked for confirmation and comment but did not respond.
Morocco’s showdown with Liberia would have been their last group K match, where the outcome is of academic interest only. Officials said:
Following the earthquake, which affected certain regions of Morocco, the Royal Moroccan Football Federation announces the postponement of the match ... (to) a later date, in agreement with the Confederation of African Football.
After this serious injury, the national football family presents its most sincere condolences to the families of the victims, and wishes a speedy recovery to all those injured.
Updated
Algeria has offered humanitarian aid to its neighbour after the earthquake. In an exceptional move, Algeria offered to open its airspace to allow eventual humanitarian aid or medical evacuation flights to travel to and from Morocco.
Algeria closed the airspace when its government severed diplomatic ties with Morocco in 2021 over a series of issues. The countries have a decades-long dispute involving the territory of Western Sahara.
The office of the Algerian president, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, said the nation was ready to offer humanitarian aid “in solidarity with the brotherly Moroccan people, in case the authorities of the Moroccan kingdom express a wish for this”.
The statement also offered to reopen the airspace; as well as condolences for the dead and “deepest compassion” for the injured.
Updated
Most of the tiny village of Moulay Brahim, carved into a mountainside south of Marrakech, is uninhabitable after walls crumbled, windows shattered and more than a dozen homes were reduced to piles of concrete and bent metal poles. At least five residents were trapped, the AP reports.
One resident, Ayoub Toudite, said he had been working out with friends at the gym when “we felt a huge shake like it was doomsday”. In 10 seconds, he said, everything was gone.
We found casualties and people running and kids crying. We never saw anything like this, 20 deaths in the area, 30 injuries.
Rescuers were using hammers and axes to free a man trapped under a two-storey building. People capable of squeezing into the tiny space were giving him water. “We are all terrified that this happens again,” Toudite said.
The head of a town near the earthquake’s epicentre told the Moroccan news site 2M several homes in nearby towns had partly or totally collapsed, and electricity and roads were cut off in some places, the AP said.
Abderrahim Ait Daoud, the head of the town of Talat N’Yaaqoub, said authorities were working to clear roads in Al Haouz province to allow passage for ambulances and aid to populations affected, but said large distances between mountain villages mean it will take time to learn the extent of the damage.
Updated
The earthquake is the strongest to hit the north African kingdom, Agence-France Presse reports. One expert said it was the region’s “biggest in more than 120 years”.
“Where destructive earthquakes are rare, buildings are simply not constructed robustly enough ... so many collapse, resulting in high casualties,” said Bill McGuire, a professor emeritus at Britain’s University College London.
The interior ministry said of those injured, 721 were in a critical condition, the Associated Press reports
Death toll passes 1,000 people
The Moroccan government says the death toll has reached 1,037, with more than 1,200 injured, the Associated Press (AP) reports.
Morocco’s King Mohammed VI has ordered the armed forces to mobilise air and land assets, specialised search and rescue teams and a surgical field hospital, the Associated Press reports, citing a statement from the military.
The news agency says the measure is a sign of the huge scale of the disaster. Nevertheless, despite offers of help from around the world, the Moroccan government had not formally asked for assistance; a step required before outside rescue crews could deploy.
Updated
In the village of Amizmiz, about 40 miles south of Marrakech, rescue workers picked through the rubble, Reuters reports. Resident Mohamed Azaw has told the news agency:
When I felt the earth shaking beneath my feet and the house leaning, I rushed to get my kids out. But my neighbours couldn’t. Unfortunately, no one was found alive in that family. The father and son were found dead and they are still looking for the mother and the daughter.
About 20 men including firefighters and soldiers in fatigues stood on the ruin of a house in the village as they tried to remove rubble, bits of carpet and furniture protruding from gaps between pancaked concrete floors.
Updated
What we know so far
Here’s a summary of the main developments:
At least 820 people have been killed in Morocco after a powerful earthquake hit several towns and cities, the interior ministry told state TV, adding that at least 672 more have been injured. A search for survivors continues.
A local official said most deaths were in mountainous areas that were hard to reach.
It was Morocco’s deadliest since at least a 2004 tremor in the northern Rif mountains that killed more than 600 people.
Scientists said the earthquake, which was centred in Ighil, measured at least 6.8 magnitude, though some readings have it higher. It was said to be a relatively shallow earthquake – usually the most destructive sort.
In Marrakech, some buildings in the old city, a Unesco world heritage site, have been damaged or destroyed.
Several world leaders, including Emmanuel Macron, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Narendra Modi and Olaf Scholz have sent messages of support.
Updated
Updated
Prof David Rothery, professor of planetary geosciences at the Open University, says:
This earthquake was in the mountains about halfway between Agadir and Marrakech. It was about 500km south of the boundary between the African tectonic plate and the Eurasian plate, but nevertheless it was a consequence of the northward collision of Africa into Eurasia in a place where the High Atlas mountains are being thrust upwards. This earthquake was magnitude 6.8, and there has been nothing bigger than 6.0 within 500km of the epicentre since before 1900.
Neither people nor civil authorities are likely to have been well prepared for this, and I would be surprised if even modern buildings were built to be resilient to major ground shaking. We wait to learn whether landslides have taken many lives, in addition to buildings that were shaken down.
Dr Mohammad Kashani, associate professor of structural and earthquake engineering at the University of Southampton, says:
The earthquake was magnitude 6.8 with 18.5km depth, which is quite shallow. The shallow earthquakes are normally more destructive. The location is at the boundary of the Eurasian and African plates. Almost all earthquakes occur at the boundary of tectonic plates due to their movement.
It is too early to see the extent of damage. However, from what I’ve seen in photos and videos this very similar to the earthquake that occurred in February in Turkey. The area is full of old and historical buildings, which are mainly masonry. The collapsed reinforced concrete structures that I saw in the photos were either old or substandard.
Updated
The UK prime minister, Rishi Sunak, says the country stands ready to support Morocco.
My thoughts are with everyone affected by the terrible earthquake in Morocco last night. The UK stands ready to support our Moroccan friends.
The Chinese president, Xi Jinping, has also sent a “message of condolence”, Beijing’s state media reports. The official broadcaster CCTV quotes Xi as saying:
I am shocked to learn that a strong earthquake has occurred in your distinguished country, causing great casualties and property damage. On behalf of the Chinese government and people, I would like to express my deep grief for the victims and sincere condolences to the families.
I trust that, under the leadership of His Majesty the King, the Moroccan government and people will be able to overcome the impact of this disaster and rebuild their homeland at an early date.”
Updated
The city of Marrakech, a Unesco World Heritage site, is still assessing the extent of damage, though most of the main historic sites in the old city appear largely unscathed, Reuters reports.
However, footage shared online, but not verified by Reuters, showed cracks and fallen rubble at a small section of the medieval walls and a collapsed minaret.
At the Djemaa el-Fna square, Marrakech’s grand centrepiece overlooked by the medieval Kotoubia mosque and a haunt of street entertainers, market stalls and snake charmers, the most precious heritage appears intact.
The towering minaret of the Kotoubia, which is kept carefully maintained due to its prized status, looks unharmed but the minaret of a less well-known mosque in another part of the expansive square had collapsed, smashing some cars with rubble, Reuters reports.
Updated
The rarity of the earthquake is likely to have been a factor in its deadliness, an expert says. It quake was the hardest to hit Morocco in 120 years, and it toppled buildings and walls in ancient cities made from stone and masonry that was not designed to withstand quakes.
Bill McGuire, professor emeritus of geophysical and climate hazards at University College London, says:
The problem is that, where destructive earthquakes are rare, buildings are simply not constructed robustly enough to cope with strong ground shaking, so many collapse resulting in high casualties.
I would expect the final death toll to climb into the thousands once more is known. As with any big quake, aftershocks are likely, which will lead to further casualties and hinder search and rescue.
Updated
And representatives of several world bodies also express their support. The head of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, says he “learned with great sadness of the tragic consequences of the earthquake that hit the kingdom of Morocco”, expressing his “sincere condolences” to the king, the Moroccan people and the families of the victims.
The secretary-general of the Jeddah-based Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Hissein Brahim Taha, says he is praying for “mercy on the victims and a speedy recovery for the injured”.
The World Health Organization chief, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, describes the quake as “heartbreaking”, adding: “We stand ready to support the immediate health needs.”
Updated
More world leaders have been expressing their solidarity. The Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, offers support to “our Moroccan brothers in every way in this difficult hour”.
The Indian prime minister, Narendra Modi, who is hosting the G20 summit this weekend, says he is “extremely pained by the loss of lives” in Morocco.
The Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, says he has “instructed all government bodies and forces to provide any necessary assistance to the people of Morocco, including the preparations for sending an aid delegation to the area”.
It is the latest show of support in the wake of the 2020 Abraham Accords under which Israel normalised ties with a number of Arab countries; including Morocco.
The president of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, says his country stands “with the Kingdom of Morocco during this difficult time and wish a speedy recovery ahead to all those affected”. He says he has also ordered an “air bridge to deliver critical relief” to the country, according to the state news agency WAM.
Saudi Arabia and Egypt also issued statements expressing their condolences and support after the quake.
Updated
Death toll rises to 820, state TV says
The death toll has risen to 820, Moroccan state television quotes the iInterior ministry as saying. At least 672 people were injured, including 205 in serious condition, in the quake, it adds.
Updated
Western leaders have offered their condolences – and their help – to Morocco, AFP reports. The French president, Emmanuel Macron, says he is “devastated” by news of the quake, adding that “France stands ready to help with first aid”.
The German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, says his country’s “thoughts are with the victims of this devastating earthquake. Our sympathy goes out to all those affected”. And the Italian prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, says she “learned with grief of the tragic toll” from the quake and pointed to “Italy’s willingness to support Morocco in this emergency”.
The European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, expresses sympathy “with the Moroccan people in the face of the terrible earthquake”, while the top EU diplomat, Joseph Borrell, says the bloc is ready to provide Morocco “the assistance it wishes”.
The Swiss president, Alain Berset, expresses his condolences, and the country’s foreign ministry says it has activated a crisis cell and is evaluating sending aid. The Belgian prime minister, Alexander De Croo, says his country stands by Morocco “in these difficult moments”.
As we reported earlier, the Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, and the foreign minister, José Manuel Albares, have also expressed their solidarity.
Updated
CCTV from Marrakech shows the moment a powerful earthquake struck late on Friday night, killing hundreds of people and damaging buildings.
The British foreign secretary, James Cleverly, has said the UK is supporting British nationals after the quake.
Devastating news of a substantial earthquake just outside Marrakesh, Morocco. The UK is continuing to support British nationals in the region. We stand ready to help our Moroccan friends in whatever way we can.
People in towns across Morocco have spent the night sitting outside their homes, a British journalist living in the country has said. Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Martin Jay has said:
There were reports coming through on Moroccan media warning people not to go back into their homes.
This was a nationwide message that was put out by the authorities. So you have this weird evening of almost every single town in Morocco, most people are sitting on the ground outside of their houses or apartment blocks, because they were afraid of the second earthquake which they predicted would come two hours later.
Thank God it didn’t.
Updated
Witnesses have described how the quake hit three times. Faisal Baddour, an engineer, told the French press agency Agence France-Presse:
There are families who are still sleeping outside because we were so scared of the force of this earthquake. It was as if a train was passing close to our houses.
Frenchman Michael Bizet, who owns three traditional riad houses in Marrakech’s old town, told the agency he was in bed when the quake struck.
I thought my bed was going to fly away. I went out into the street half-naked and immediately went to see my riads. It was total chaos, a real catastrophe, madness.
Bizet shared video of piles of rubble from collapsed walls in the streets.
Other footage on social media showed part of a minaret collapsed on Djemaa el-Fna square in the historic city. An AFP correspondent saw hundreds of people flocking to the square to spend the night for fear of aftershocks, some with blankets while others slept on the ground.
Houda Outassaf, a local resident, said he was walking around the square when the ground began to shake.
It was a truly staggering sensation. We’re safe and sound, but I’m still in shock. I have at least 10 members of my family who died... I can hardly believe it, as I was with them no more than two days ago.
In Essaouira, 120 miles (200km) west of Marrakesh, a resident told AFP:
We heard screams at the time of the tremor. People are in the squares, in the cafes, preferring to sleep outside. Pieces of facades have fallen.
Meanwhile, the Spanish foreign minister, José Manuel Albares, has said:
Our thoughts are with the victims and next of kin of this horrible earthquake. All our solidarity with Morocco and its people.
Updated
What we know so far
If you’re just joining us, here are the main developments:
More than 600 people have been killed in Morocco after a powerful earthquake hit several towns and cities. A search for survivors is ongoing.
A local official said most deaths were in mountain areas that were hard to reach.
It was Morocco’s deadliest since at least a 2004 tremor in the northern Rif mountains that killed more than 600 people.
More than 300 people have been reported injured in thee quake, which local officials say caused the most damage in rural areas.
The earthquake, which was centred in Ighil, measured at least 6.8 magnitude, though some readings have it higher
In Marrakech, some buildings in the old city, a Unesco world heritage site, have been damaged or destroyed.
Several world leaders, including Emmanuel Macron, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Narendra Modi and Olaf Scholz have sent messages of support.
That’s it from me on the blog for now, I’m handing over to my colleague Kevin Rawlinson.
Updated
Some more images from Morocco are coming through from local photographers now:
The Spanish prime minister, Pedro Sánchez, has offered his condolences to relatives of the victims.
“All my solidarity and support to the people of Morocco in the wake of this terrible earthquake ... Spain is with the victims of this tragedy and its families,” he wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Updated
While most of the damage occurred in rural areas, almost all of the footage we have is from urban areas.
Journalist Martin Jay, who is based in Morocco, said the earthquake was “unprecedented” and “off the scale”.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme:
The first hint was my wife screaming. We both kind of nodded off into sleep. I just opened my eyes and couldn’t quite join the dots up. I couldn’t imagine I was in the middle of an earthquake. Everything was vibrating – the bed, four walls. I thought it was some kind of storm, a strong wind perhaps. I grabbed a hat and pulled her out of the bed.
There were reports coming through on Moroccan media warning people not to go back into their homes. This is nationwide message that was put out by the authorities.
He said people were sitting outside their homes, afraid of the second earthquake, which thankfully never came.
I made calls to friends and they told me there are deaths, there are a number of buildings that have collapsed and I’m absolutely sure I know what those buildings are. They’ll be the traditional buildings, the buildings that poor Moroccans make themselves here of mud. They are not particularly strong and they are certainly not built to withstand anything like an earthquake.
The earthquake we had is unprecedented, it’s completely off the scale. Morocco’s never had anything like that, ever.
Updated
World leaders offer support and condolences
Narendra Modi is one of several world leaders to offer their support to Morocco. India’s prime minister’s posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he was “ready to offer all possible assistance to Morocco in this difficult time”.
Extremely pained by the loss of lives due to an earthquake in Morocco. In this tragic hour, my thoughts are with the people of Morocco. Condolences to those who have lost their loved ones. May the injured recover at the earliest. India is ready to offer all possible assistance to…
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 9, 2023
The German chancellor, Olaf Scholz, said his “thoughts are with the victims”.
Das sind schlimme Nachrichten aus #Marokko. In diesen schweren Stunden sind unsere Gedanken bei den Opfern des verheerenden Erdbebens. Unser Mitgefühl gilt allen Betroffenen dieser Naturkatastrophe.
— Bundeskanzler Olaf Scholz (@Bundeskanzler) September 9, 2023
Updated
The US Geological Survey’s Pager system, which provides preliminary assessments on the impact of earthquakes, has issued a red alert for economic losses, saying extensive damage is probable and the disaster is likely widespread.
Past events with this alert level have required a national or international level response, according to the US government agency.
Updated
'People were in shock'
A resident of Marrakech has been speaking to the AFP news agency about his experience. Abdelhak El Amrani, 33, said:
We felt a very violent tremor, and I realised it was an earthquake.
I could see buildings moving. We don’t necessarily have the reflexes for this type of situation.
Then I went outside and there were a lot of people there. People were all in shock and panic. The children were crying and the parents were distraught.”
The power went out for 10 minutes, and so did the (telephone) network, but then it came back on.
Everyone decided to stay outside.
Updated
The US Geological Survey has provided this map showing the impact of the earthquake:
Updated
People in Rabat, about 350km (220 miles) north of Ighil, and in the coastal town of Imsouane, about 180km to its west, also fled their homes, fearing a stronger quake, according to witnesses.
“We heard screams at the time of the tremor,” a resident of Essaouira, 200km west of Marrakech, said by phone. “People are in the squares, in the cafes, preferring to sleep outside. Pieces of facades have fallen.”
Some videos shared on social media appeared to show at least one building collapsing and rubble in the streets. Others showed people running out of a shopping centre, restaurants and apartment buildings and congregating outside.
Death toll has now reached 632 - state media
Grim news coming out of Morocco as state TV, citing a government minister, reports the number of people killed in the earthquake has now reached 632, with a further 329 injured.
Updated
Which areas have been affected by the earthquake?
As we mentioned earlier, Morocco’s geophysical centre said the quake struck in the Ighil area of the High Atlas.
The impact, however, has been felt as far afield as Portugal and Algeria.
Ighil, a mountainous area with small farming villages, is about 70km (40 miles) south-west of Marrakech.
Here are some of the latest images coming through from Marrakech, where some buildings have collapsed in the old city, a Unesco world heritage site.
Updated
In Marrakech, some houses in the tightly packed old city have collapsed and people have been working by hand to remove debris while they waited for heavy equipment, one resident said.
Footage of the medieval city wall showed big cracks in one section and parts that had fallen, with rubble lying on the street.
Another Marrakech resident said he saw ambulances coming out of the old town and many building facades damaged.
People were frightened and were staying outside in case of another quake, he added.
How powerful was the earthquake?
Morocco’s geophysical centre said the quake struck in the Ighil area of the High Atlas with a magnitude of 7.2.
The US Geological Survey put the quake’s magnitude at 6.8 and said it was at a relatively shallow depth of 18.5km (11.5 miles).
Updated
Hundreds killed as earthquake hits Morocco
A powerful earthquake centred in Morocco’s High Atlas mountains killed hundreds of people, the government said, as collapsed buildings and people fled their shuddering homes in several cities.
Residents of Marrakech, the nearest major city to the epicentre, said some buildings had collapsed in the old city, a Unesco world heritage site, and local television showed pictures of a fallen mosque minaret with rubble lying on smashed cars after the quake struck at 11.11pm on Friday.
Morocco’s interior ministry said early on Saturday that at least 296 people died in the provinces near the quake centre. Additionally, 153 injured people were sent to hospitals for treatment. The ministry wrote that most damage occurred outside of cities and towns.
A local official said most deaths were in mountainous areas that were hard to reach.
We’ll bring you the latest updates from this story.
