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80-512: The major cities and towns are: In September 2023 the province was the epicenter (31.073°N 8.407°W) of a violent magnitude 6.9 earthquake which upon first reports left over 2,800 people dead and more than 3,000 others injured. The province is divided administratively into the following: This Marrakesh-Safi location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . 2023 Marrakesh-Safi earthquake On 8 September 2023 at 23:11 DST (22:11 UTC ), an earthquake with

160-584: A moment magnitude of 6.9 and maximum Mercalli intensity of IX ( Violent ) struck Morocco's Al Haouz Province . The earthquake's epicenter was 73.4 km (45.6 mi) southwest of Marrakesh , near the town of Ighil and the Oukaïmeden ski resort in the Atlas Mountains . It occurred as a result of shallow oblique - thrust faulting beneath the mountain range. At least 2,960 deaths were reported, with most occurring outside Marrakesh. Damage

240-716: A $ 300,000-donation to the American Red Cross and CARE International. Other world leaders and heads of states offered condolences. The 18-hour delay for King Mohammed VI to make an official announcement on the earthquake received criticism socially. There was also criticism of the government's delay in making an official request for assistance and that more external aid was not allowed. Frustration also grew among international aid groups on standby as they had not received formal requests. The Moroccan government did not formally ask for foreign assistance; however, they accepted aid from Qatar, Spain, United Arab Emirates, and

320-639: A collision during the Cenozoic . The mountain range reaches its highest elevation to the west, in Morocco. The High Atlas formed during the reactivation of an ancient rift from the Triassic . However rather than extensional forces , the reactivation compressed the rift feature due to the collisional feature in the north. Due to the unusually high topography of the Atlas range, mantle upwelling may have played

400-612: A day of the campaign launch. Damage assessments in Marrakesh revealed most of the city was relatively undamaged. King Mohammed VI, who was reportedly in France at the time of the earthquake, authorised the deployment of the Royal Moroccan Army in various affected cities in order to help. He also declared three days of national mourning and ordered the creation of a relief commission to provide survivors with aid, and

480-567: A field hospital in Moulay Brahim. Rescue personnel used heavy equipment to recover survivors and bodies from debris. Survivors from the village began digging graves on a hill to bury the dead. A large tent was set-up in the village to house the homeless. Operations at Marrakesh Airport remained normal but two Ryanair flights from Marrakesh to Brussels and Beauvais , France, that were scheduled for 9 September were cancelled. British Airways replaced its regular aircraft to Marrakesh with

560-588: A larger one to carry British nationals requesting repatriation. Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, Canada, Jordan, Japan, South Korea, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Spain, India, Algeria, Argentina, France, Germany, Iran, Israel, the Philippines, Portugal, Pakistan, Romania, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Oman, Turkey, Kuwait, the United Kingdom, the United States,

640-484: A magnitude of M w  6.9. The tremors were detected by monitoring stations as far away as Egypt. Witnesses said the shaking lasted for about 20 seconds. A magnitude 4.9 aftershock occurred 19 minutes after the mainshock , while a magnitude 4.5 aftershock was reported on 10 September. The earthquake had a focal mechanism indicating oblique- thrust faulting beneath the High Atlas. The rupture occurred on

720-632: A role in its orogeny . The crustal thickness beneath the range, 32–40 km (20–25 mi), was too thin to support the high elevations (>4,000 m (13,000 ft)); the expected crustal thickness was ~50 km (31 mi). Seismicity in Morocco is concentrated in the country's northern region and the Alboran Sea. South of the Rif , seismic activity is sparse but spread across the Middle Atlas , High Atlas , and Anti-Atlas . Seismicity in

800-404: A role in triggering the earthquake. Fluid and magma from the upwelling may have injected fluid or magma into an existing fault, bringing it closer to failure and ultimately rupturing. As a result, no surface faulting occurred hence the fault responsible could not be identified. The focal mechanism suggests rupture on a steep north-dipping plane or shallow south-dipping plane. The USGS finite fault

880-409: A shopping centre, restaurants and apartment buildings. Residents of the city spent the first three nights outdoors; filling up roundabouts, car parks and a public square. Some businesses in the city reopened on 10 September as King Mohammed VI recommended commercial operations to continue. Unsafe portions of the city were sealed off by officials while tourists and locals continued to move about. In

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960-458: A statement stating that 63,800 households were actively receiving the monthly payouts of 2,500 dirhams ($ 257). The King also conferred the status of "Wards of the Nation" to all children orphaned by the earthquake. The Red Cross announced the recovery process could take years; several villages near the epicenter in the remote mountainous region were completely flattened and/or inaccessible, with

1040-420: A steep- dipping oblique-reverse fault striking northwest or a shallow-dipping oblique-reverse fault striking east. The USGS estimated the fault rupture area to be 30 km (19 mi) by 25 km (16 mi). Many east-west and northeast–southwest strike-slip and thrust faults occur in the High Atlas. Since 1900, there has not been a M w   6.0 or larger earthquake within 500 km (310 mi) of

1120-481: A type of earthquake-resistant and insulated temporary home. The chairman of Amal Biladi said the group aimed to complete another 30 noualas by the end of 2024. Some architects and authorities debated over the use of concrete over traditional earth and stone for reconstruction. Those architects argued that concrete homes presented ecological problems, departed from tradition and were costlier. They added that traditional earth and stone were earthquake-resistant and criticised

1200-446: A village of 200 residents, 90 died and many remained missing. The village of Ighil , near the epicenter, was also severely damaged, however only one injury occurred, as nearly all of the village's residents were attending an outdoor wedding at the time of the earthquake. In Adassil, 32 students from the same school were killed. Outside Agadir , in the villages of Taqi and Tadrart , many homes were destroyed. At least 70 people died in

1280-510: A working meeting. On 25 October 2023, hundreds of people took to the streets of Amizmiz , one of the worst-hit towns, to protest against local and regional authorities over delays in the delivery of emergency aid and cash support for the affected families. The protests, arranged by the Amizmiz Earthquake Victims' Coordination, came after a worker's strike and repeated storms that had further worsened living conditions for

1360-728: A year of US$ 244 to affected families. By January 2024, the government said around 57,600 families had received the monthly support and more than 44,000 households received reconstruction aid. During the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group held in Marrakesh, Morocco and Spain agreed on lending €11.6 million to support the reconstruction campaign. The United Kingdom's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office also added it would provide £1.45 million to address

1440-485: Is a matter of surveying the damage in the fields of heritage and education, making buildings safe or preparing for reconstruction". On 14 September, the monarchy announced that 50,000 houses had been damaged by the earthquake, and pledged shelter and 30,000 dirhams ($ 3,000) to affected households, as well as reconstruction aid of 140,000 dirhams for collapsed homes and 80,000 for damaged ones. These payouts were processed via monthly instalments. The prime minister issued

1520-576: Is aligned with the former solution. Two dominant systems; the North and South Atlas faults; both shallow-dipping thrust faults, occur in the western High Atlas; both fault geometries do not align with that of the USGS finite fault on a steeply-dipping plane. Other unmapped faults within the range, including the Tizi n'Test Fault, are closer to the surface projection of the USGS finite fault. If the rupture occurred on

1600-843: Is bordered on the north by the Mediterranean Sea and Spain and on the west by the Atlantic Ocean, and is the homeland of the Rifians and the Jebala people . This mountainous and fertile area is bordered by Cape Spartel and Tangier to the west, by Berkane and the Moulouya River to the east, by the Mediterranean to the north, and by the Ouergha River to the south. The Rif mountains are separated into

1680-566: Is the strongest instrumentally recorded in Morocco's history, surpassed only by upper estimates of the 1755 Meknes earthquake , at M w 6.5–7.0. It occurred at 19.0 km (11.8 mi) depth, and had a magnitude of M ww  6.8, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), while Morocco's seismic agency reported a focal depth of 8 km (5.0 mi) and magnitude of M wp 7.2. The Global Centroid Moment Tensor (GCMT) reported

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1760-551: The Atlas Mountain System . Major cities in the greater Rif region include Nador , Al Hoceima (also called Villa), Imzouren , Driouch , Ben Taieb , Midar and Al Aaroui and a few (small) towns: Segangan , Selwan , Ajdir and Targuist (Targist). The Rif has been inhabited by Berbers since prehistoric times. As early as the 11th century BC , the Phoenicians began to establish trading posts with

1840-736: The Azores–Gibraltar Transform Fault , which is the boundary between the African plate and the Eurasian plate . This zone of right-lateral strike-slip becomes transpressional at its eastern end, with the development of large thrust faults . To the east of the Strait of Gibraltar , in the Alboran Sea , the boundary becomes collisional in type. Most of the seismicity in Morocco is related to movement on that plate boundary, with

1920-684: The European Union , and the United Nations offered to provide assistance and support to Morocco. The Netherlands released €5 million in emergency aid, while the Red Cross Society of China gave the Moroccan Red Crescent $ 200,000 for emergency humanitarian assistance. The European Commission pledged 1 million euros ($ 1.07 million) to support relief efforts. Aerospace company Boeing announced

2000-1011: The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre , it was also felt in Portugal, Spain, Mauritania, Algeria, Western Sahara and along the coast of the Strait of Gibraltar. At least 2,960 people died and 5,674 were injured; over 2,500 of the injured were seriously hurt. Many fatalities occurred in remote locations south of Marrakesh. In Al-Haouz and Taroudant provinces, the death toll stood at 1,684 and 980, respectively. Forty-one people died in Ouarzazate ; 202 died in Chichaoua and 18 deaths were recorded in Marrakesh. There were also fatalities in Casablanca , Agadir and Youssoufia . One person

2080-617: The Republic of the Congo and The Gambia went ahead as scheduled in Marrakesh on 10 September. UEFA announced a moment of silence for the victims for all club and national team matches until 21 September. UNESCO experts visited the Medina of Marrakesh on 9 September to take a first look at the damage. The organization said it would provide support according to the needs expressed, with Director General Audrey Azoulay specifying "whether it

2160-662: The Saharan Atlas is limited, and absent in the Saharan region south of the belt; it is also less active eastwards in Algeria and Tunisia. Previously, the largest earthquake recorded in the Atlas Mountains was the M w   5.9 earthquake that struck Agadir in 1960. Earthquakes in the Atlas Mountains display focal mechanisms of strike-slip, thrust or a combination of both (oblique-slip). The Al Haouz earthquake

2240-575: The United Nations Institute for Training and Research on behalf of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies to provide humanitarian satellite coverage. On 9 September, a team of 50 paramedics and personnel from Tunisia arrived. The team also brought search dogs, thermal imaging devices, a drone, and field hospital. A Qatari rescue team arrived in Morocco on 11 September. By 6 October,

2320-452: The endangered primate Barbary macaque , Macaca sylvanus . The Rif mountains are also home to the honey bee subspecies Apis mellifera major . The Rif region receives more rainfall than any other region in Morocco, with some portions receiving upwards of 2,000 mm (78.74 in) of precipitation a year. The western and central portions are more rainy and are covered in forests of Atlas cedar , cork oak and holm oak , as well as

2400-468: The 12th century, also collapsed. Power cuts led to Internet service disruptions. The historic 12th-century Tinmel Mosque was extensively destroyed; a tower partially collapsed and walls fell. In Tinmel village, 15 people were killed. The Interior Ministry said the majority of damage occurred away from cities and towns. Near the epicenter in the High Atlas, public television channel Al Aoula reported many buildings collapsed. Entire villages near

2480-584: The 15th century, many Moors were exiled from Spain , and most of them settled in Western Rif and brought their culture, such as Andalusian music , and even established the city of Chefchaouen . Since then, the Rif has suffered numerous battles with Spain and Portugal. In 1415, Portugal invaded Ceuta , and in 1490 Spain conquered Melilla . The Hispano-Moroccan War broke out in 1859 in Tetouan , and Morocco

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2560-576: The African continent since the 2006 M w   7.0 Mozambique earthquake and the largest in North Africa since the 1980 M w   7.1 El Asnam earthquake . Over 2.8 million people from Marrakesh and areas surrounding the Atlas Mountains were affected, including 100,000 children. Following the earthquake, many countries offered humanitarian assistance, and Morocco announced a three-day period of national mourning. Morocco lies close to

2640-642: The Kingdom of Mauretania . When Mauretania was divided during the rule of Emperor Claudius , Tangier became the capital of Mauretania Tingitana . In the 5th century AD , the Roman rule came to an end, and the region was later reconquered and partly controlled by the Byzantine Empire . In 710, Salih I ibn Mansur founded the Emirate of Nekor in the Rif, and Berbers started converting to Islam . By

2720-496: The Moroccan Red Crescent had supported over 50,000 people. They deployed over 290 volunteers across the affected provinces to assist in search and rescue efforts, preparing medical caravans and makeshift medical tents. The Confederation of African Football postponed the qualifying match for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations between Morocco and Liberia , which was due to be held in Agadir on 9 September. The qualifying match between

2800-464: The Moroccan government made a bilateral appeal. The Czech Republic announced it was ready to send about 70 members of a rescue team, including nine doctors, after receiving an official request from the Moroccan government. Czech Defense Minister Jana Černochová said three military planes were prepared to transport the team. The International Charter on Space and Major Disasters was activated by

2880-545: The Red Cross and Red Crescent movement." The flight carrying aid, tents and mats was requested by the Moroccan Red Crescent. In response to these observations, the Moroccan Interior Ministry said on 10 September that its selective acceptance of aid was "based on a precise assessment of needs on the ground" but not an outright rejection of such offers. The Spanish newspaper El Mundo criticised

2960-636: The United Kingdom, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates. The president of the NGO Secouristes sans frontières, Arnaud Fraisse, stated, "We do not understand this situation of blocking on the part of the Moroccan government. There is no explanation at the moment." The Lebanese newspaper L'Orient-Le Jour declared Morocco, "despite being wounded, is snubbing international aid", forcing local officials to organise assistance. On 11 September, Algeria prepared three planes equipped with all

3040-461: The United Kingdom. Officials said they have only approved the offer of four countries because "a lack of coordination could be counterproductive". They added that other offers may be approved when there is a need. On 17 September, the king sent formal messages to representatives of the four countries' search and rescue teams, thanking them for their assistance. Benoît Payan , the mayor of Marrakesh's sister city Marseille , France, announced that he

3120-498: The affected areas. A highway in the Atlas Mountains, congested with ambulances, taxis and Red Cross members, was used to treat the injured; the severely wounded were transported to a hospital in Marrakesh. In remote areas that were difficult to access, the Royal Moroccan Armed Forces used helicopters to supply basic needs. The Moroccan Health Ministry mobilized more than 2,000 doctors and nurses to respond to

3200-613: The affected areas. Semi-trailers also carried supplies to reach these areas. Local channel 2M shared videos of emergency vehicles travelling along a dirt road. Rescue missions were disrupted as the roads through the mountainous region were congested with vehicles and fallen rocks. Collapsed buildings made from traditional mud brick, stone and rough wood complicated lowered the chances of survival as these materials disintegrated and amalgamated. The amalgamated rubble left limited air pockets for those trapped. In Al-Haouz Province, rocks were removed from roads to enable ambulances and aid to reach

3280-583: The approval of or partnership with the local Berbers; had started interbreeding and creating a Punic language on the Mediterranean and the Atlantic coasts; and had founded cities such as Tetouan , Rusadir (now Melilla ) and (in the 5th century BC ) Tingi (now Tangier ). After the Third Punic War , the coast of North Africa came under the control of Rome , and the Rif became part of

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3360-477: The blueprints for a new home, and residents can build these homes by themselves or hiring others. Residents complained that the lack of workers, construction materials, cost of materials and labour, and inaccessibility to some sites have made these solutions difficult to fulfil. Furthermore, government management flaws resulted in some residents still waiting for their payouts. In Ait Bourd, an independent organisation, Amal Biladi, assisted in constructing 20 noualas,

3440-551: The capital, Rabat, 350 km (220 mi) north of the epicenter, and at Imsouane, a coastal town, residents left their homes. The General Secretary of the Directorate General of Internal Affairs said officials and security teams assembled resources to supply aid and assess damage. The Moroccan army cleared one of the main roads to the worst-affected areas, allowing vital assistance to reach people. In Salé , trucks carried blankets, camp beds and lighting devices to

3520-465: The country on 10 September. On 10 September, Minister for Digital Affairs Jean-Noël Barrot said that all French mobile phone operators had begun offering free calls and text messages to Morocco. In Belgium, a public memorial service for the victims of the earthquake was held in the city centre of Antwerp on 12 September, during which the Moroccan national anthem was played and a minute of silence for

3600-779: The country's red cross , pledged NOK 10 million in aid to the victims. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and King Abdullah II of Jordan ordered their governments to send aid to Morocco, while the United Arab Emirates's president Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan ordered the establishment of an air bridge to transport relief aid and other support, as did Saudi Arabia. Sultan Haitham bin Tarik of Oman ordered rescue teams and medical aid to be sent to Morocco on 10 September. On 12 September, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi declared three days of national mourning for

3680-476: The dead was conducted. A six-man rescue team and four rescue dogs from De Rips in the Netherlands flew from Brussels to help in the search and rescue operations at the request of local residents. The town of Hilversum donated €20,000 to the victims. The Dutch Red Cross also launched a relief drive called Giro 6868 to help the victims, with about €3.8 million worth of aid being received. Norway, through

3760-465: The delayed reaction of King Mohammed VI as he remained "silent for hours after the drama". The newspaper on the other hand quoted the French ambassador in Morocco, Christophe Lecourtier  [ fr ] , who justified the delay by stating that "the Moroccan authorities were conducting an evaluation of the situation", since "the southern region was isolated and far from urban centres". This statement

3840-708: The delivery of financial relief. Another protest broke out in the town in late August over the slow rebuilding efforts, lack of state investment and social assistance. A year on, many residents continued to live in makeshift tents, guesthouses or their relatives' places. Ruins in some localities close to the epicenter were still present. Of the 55,000 new homes planned, only 1,000 were completed. The government's reconstruction campaign received backlash for its ineffectiveness; called "supervised self-construction", these reconstruction funds paid in instalments were intended to be used by recipients to source their own method of rebuilding. This system involves an appointed architect laying

3920-476: The earthquake. There was a surge in wounded people admitted to hospitals in Marrakesh. Injured people from outside Marrakesh also began to trickle into the city to get treatment. An appeal was made to the city's residents for blood donations. On the morning of 9 September, roughly 200 people, including tourists, visited a hospital to donate blood. Among those who donated were the Moroccan national football team . The initiative amassed 6,000 bags of blood within

4000-558: The earthquake. Vertical movement of the land surface detected by repeat observations of the Sentinel-1 satellite is consistent with movement on a blind thrust fault dipping north. An analysis of satellite data obtained from Daichi-2 by the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan revealed a 20 cm (7.9 in) surface uplift around the epicenter and 7 cm (2.8 in) of subsidence to

4080-596: The eastern Rif mountains ( Nador , Driouch , Al Hoceima ) and western Rif mountains ( Tangier , Tetouan , Chefchaouen , Taounate ). Geologically, the Rif Mountains belong to the Gibraltar Arc or Alborán Sea geological region. They are an extension of the Baetic System , which includes the mountains of the southern Iberian Peninsula across the strait. Thus, the Rif Mountains are not part of

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4160-574: The epicenter were levelled. At the earthquake's epicenter in the town of Al-Haouz, a collapsed house trapped its residents under rubble. At Amizmiz , a village near the epicenter, rescuers used their hands to sort through debris. Severe damage was reported throughout most of the town, and up to 2,000 people were feared to have died there. Nearly all of the 50 traditional houses in the village of Majat were destroyed and dozens of its inhabitants were killed. Ninety-percent of houses in Asni were destroyed. In

4240-436: The focal depth was determined at 24.7 km (15.3 mi) beneath the High Atlas. The focal mechanism of this model displayed reverse and left-lateral faulting. Slip occurred in an elliptical area along an east-northeast–west-southwest trending fault dipping 69° north–northwest. Peak slip of 2 m (6 ft 7 in) occurred at 23.3 km (14.5 mi). Geodetic modeling suggests the earthquake originated from within

4320-436: The greatest seismic hazard in the north of the country close to the boundary. In 2004, Al Hoceima was struck by a magnitude 6.3 earthquake that killed 628 people and left 926 injured. A magnitude 7.3 earthquake affecting neighboring Algeria in 1980 killed 2,500 people. The Atlas Mountains are an intracontinental mountain belt that extends 2,000 km (1,200 mi) from Morocco to Tunisia. These mountains formed from

4400-703: The immediate needs and long-term recovery. Financial assistance would target healthcare, shelter and the local agriculture industry. Offers of assistance flooded in from countries and organisations including the United States, France, Turkey, the European Commission , the African Union , the International Monetary Fund , and Algeria, which maintains tumultuous relations with Morocco. Despite many offers to assist, Morocco only officially accepted aid from four countries —Spain,

4480-425: The lower crust and ruptured up to the middle crust, beneath the High Atlas. The deeper depth and greater remoteness from populated areas compared to the earthquake that struck Agadir in 1960 meant fewer casualties and damage. The range of depth where slip occurred is unusually deep for crustal earthquakes although general seismicity in the area is low. Mantle upwelling, responsible for the Atlas orogeny, may have played

4560-527: The nation's GDP, or $ 308 million. Some homes in older parts of Marrakesh and portions of the city walls collapsed, leaving families trapped beneath debris. At Jemaa el-Fnaa , a minaret of the Kharboush Mosque and parts of its walls collapsed, crushing vehicles below. The Kutubiyya Mosque was also damaged. Several buildings in the Medina of Marrakesh , a UNESCO World Heritage Site dating from

4640-538: The necessary medication and food supplies, along with a team of 93 rescuers. This came after Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi 's statement on television affirming that Algeria's aid was favorable and that coordination with the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs was required. Shortly after, the Moroccan press criticised Ouahbi's behavior, prompting him to clarify a few hours later that his statements had been misunderstood and misinterpreted. The aid

4720-531: The only remaining forests of Moroccan fir , a subspecies of the Spanish fir . The eastern slopes receive less rainfall, and there forests consist mainly of pines, particularly the Aleppo pine and the maritime pine , as well as tetraclinis . Massive deforestation due to overgrazing , forest fires, and forest clearing for agriculture, particularly for the creation of cannabis plantations, has taken place since

4800-456: The opening of special bank accounts to allow donations. Following a meeting with the King on 11 September, Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch , in his first remarks on the disaster, said that the government was committed to funding rebuilding and compensating those affected. King Mohammed VI also visited the Marrakesh University Hospital on 12 September, with state media saying that he met with earthquake victims and donated blood. The Army set up

4880-448: The paucity of infrastructure such railways, roads, and hospitals vis-à-vis the north of the country hampering relief efforts. On 20 September, a five-year-long rehousing plan estimated at US$ 11.7 billion was announced after a discussion with King Mohammed VI, army and government personnel. It was projected to benefit 4.2 million people in the provinces of Al-Haouz, Chichaoua, Taroudant, Marrakech, Ouarzazate and Azilal . Besides rehousing,

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4960-510: The project also aims to promote social and economic growth in the region through improved infrastructure. The government's budget, international assistance and a reserve scheme would supply the funds needed for the project. The country promised to provide aid of US$ 14,000 and $ 8,000 for collapsed and damaged homes, respectively. Compensation of US$ 38,000 and $ 21,000 would be provided for totally destroyed and partially destroyed homes, respectively. The government would also provide monthly support over

5040-470: The recent earthquake's epicenter; but nine M w   5.0 and larger events have occurred to its east. A finite fault model by the USGS indicates rupture occurred on an east-northeast–west-southwest striking, north–northwest dipping thrust fault. Slip was mostly concentrated around the hypocentre within an elliptical slip patch measuring about 30 km (19 mi) long by 25 km (16 mi) wide. A maximum displacement of 1.9 m (6 ft 3 in)

5120-443: The residents. After a meeting with local officials, the organization called off the demonstration, but many people still went ahead with the protests. Many families had also not received cash support which was promised by the government despite providing their contact details. They were also concerned about housing as winter was approaching. In January 2024, protests were held in Talat N'Yaaqoub and in Taroudant Province over delays in

5200-432: The rushed nature of reconstruction; demolishing homes, even those that were only partly destroyed, and rebuilding the whole structure. Some damaged traditionally-constructed homes could be easily repaired instead of being torn down. Rif The Rif or Riff ( Tarifit : ⴰⵔⵔⵉⴼ, ⴰⵔⵉⴼ , romanized:  Arrif, Arif , Arabic : الريف ), also called Rif Mountains , is a geographic region in northern Morocco . It

5280-408: The shallow south-dipping plane, a possible source is a low-angle detachment beneath the High Atlas. Geologists have previously interpreted low-angle faults in the region in past studies. For the steep north-dipping plane, the possible source are unmapped or blind thrust faults. The Tizi n'Test Fault is a north-dipping geological fault where no recent activity had been identified along the fault prior to

5360-413: The south. Surface deformation was observed around the epicenter across a 50 km (31 mi) area trending east–west, and 100 km (62 mi) trending north–south. According to the United States Geological Survey 's PAGER service, the earthquake had a maximum Modified Mercalli intensity of IX ( Violent ). Intensity VIII ( Severe ) shaking was felt by approximately 157,000 residents, including

5440-440: The town of Azgour and villages surrounding the Atlas Mountains . Intensity VII ( Very Strong ) shaking was felt by over 811,000 people, with intensity VI ( Strong ) shaking felt by 3.2 million residents, including in the cities of Marrakesh , Taroudant and Ouarzazate . Shaking of intensity V ( Moderate ) was felt in Agadir , Beni Mellal , and Safi , with intensity IV ( Light ) shaking being felt in Casablanca . According to

5520-538: The victims of the earthquake and those of Storm Daniel in Libya on 10 and 11 September. Algeria, for the first time since 2021 , opened its airspace to Morocco to facilitate the arrival of humanitarian aid. The following day, Algeria proposed an 80-member specialised civil protection intervention team. Spain placed its Military Emergencies Unit , its other aid agencies, and its embassy in Rabat at Morocco's disposal. Two Spanish Air Force aircraft carrying 86 soldiers and eight search dogs were flown to Marrakesh after

5600-501: The village of Anerni , 36 people died. Additional homes in towns near the epicenter collapsed partly or completely. Electricity and roads were also cut in some areas. In Essaouira , parts of facades fell off. The towns of Tafeghaghte , Adassil and Imlil , and nearby villages surrounding Mount Toubkal were destroyed or severely damaged. An estimated 200 homes were destroyed in Ijoukak and between 80 and 100 residents, around half of its population, were killed. In Tafeghaghte,

5680-418: The village of Imi N'Tala . In the city of Taroudant , over 400 people were killed. Several old or historic districts in the city were badly damaged. Isolated villages in the Ouirgane Valley still had no electrical and telecommunication services two days after the earthquake, while more than 30 people died in the main village. In the village of Douzrou, roughly 100 residents died. The condition in Tinzert

5760-584: Was decolonised and restored to Morocco by Spain in April 1956, a month after the French region gained its independence from France. Shortly afterward, a revolt broke out in the north against the Moroccan king by Riffian insurgents in 1958, but it was easily suppressed. Farmers in the Rif produce most of Morocco's supply of cannabis . The region is economically underdeveloped. According to C. Michael Hogan, there are between five and eight separate subpopulations of

5840-573: Was defeated. The Spanish-Moroccan conflicts continued in the 20th century, under the leadership of Abd el-Krim , the Berber guerrilla leader who proclaimed the Republic of the Rif in 1921. The Riffian Berbers won several victories over the Spanish in the Rif War in the 1920s before they were eventually defeated; the war saw extensive use of chemical weapons by Spanish forces . The Spanish region

5920-626: Was described as "one giant pile of rubble"; at least 22 deaths occurred. Moroccan television reported that more than "18,000 families" had been affected in Al-Haouz alone. Some residents accused authorities of preventing them from renovating their houses, predominantly constructed using mud bricks, with cement, in order to preserve their historic value and attract tourists. People in Marrakesh removed rubble by hand while awaiting heavy equipment. Many residents remained outdoors for fear of another earthquake. Posts on social media showed people evacuating

6000-644: Was echoed by spokesperson of the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Anne-Claire Legendre  [ fr ] , who added that "the needs must be established prior to making a request for help". Another Spanish daily, El País , found the king's "silence" in the face of the tragedy "disturbing". L'Humanité expressed concern over the "dangerous inertia of Moroccan power". Having been in Paris since 1 September for medical reasons, King Mohammed VI returned to Rabat on 9 September, where images showed him in

6080-677: Was injured by rockfalls in Imi N'Tala following a magnitude 3.5 aftershock on 13 September. At least 40,759 houses and 2,930 villages were damaged; 19,095 additional houses collapsed. Four French nationals and a British cyclist were among the fatalities. Fifteen French nationals and some Americans were injured. In Moulay Brahim , where 40 people died, residents became trapped under collapsed buildings and volunteers made rescue attempts. At least 585 schools were damaged, seven teachers died and 39 others were injured. The earthquake caused $ 7 billion in damage. Direct economic loss represented 0.24 of

6160-408: Was observed at 25 km (16 mi) depth while significant slip mainly occurred at 20–30 km (12–19 mi) depth; there was little to no slip close to the surface above 15 km (9.3 mi) depth. Generally, slip was observed at 15 km (9.3 mi) to 35 km (22 mi) depth. In another finite fault model published by Italy's National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology ,

6240-593: Was refused as Morocco informed the Algerian Consul in Casablanca that they did not need the proposed assistance. In contrast, Israeli NGOs provided aid upon arrival in Morocco without official approval from the Moroccan or Israeli governments. On 14 September, a scheduled German Red Cross flight from Leipzig to Morocco was suddenly suspended just before takeoff. In a statement, the organization said: "for reasons beyond our control and that of our partners in

6320-707: Was sending firefighters to Morocco to help with rescue operations. The President of the Regional Council of Île-de-France Valérie Pécresse sent $ 535,000 in aid. The French Embassy in Morocco  [ fr ] opened a crisis unit hotline. A rescue crew was sent from Nice, while communities across the country offered more than 2 million euros ($ 2.1 million) in aid. The French government released 5 million euros ($ 5.4 million) in aid for NGOs operating in Morocco. Arnaud Fraisse, head of Secouristes Sans Frontières (Rescuers Without Borders), said its teams were prevented by Moroccan authorities from entering

6400-512: Was widespread, and historic landmarks in Marrakesh were destroyed. The earthquake was also felt in Spain, Portugal, and Algeria. It is the strongest instrumentally recorded earthquake in Morocco, the deadliest in the country since the 1960 Agadir earthquake , and the second-deadliest earthquake of 2023 after the Turkey–Syria earthquakes . Its magnitude also makes it the largest earthquake on

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