The earthquake caused at least 1,404 critical injuries

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At least 2,012 people in Morocco died after a rare, catastrophic earthquake struck the North African country late Friday night.

The magnitude 6.8 earthquake also injured at least 2,059 people, according to Morocco’s Interior Ministry. 1,404 of those injuries were considered critical.

The death toll is expected to rise as first responders struggle to reach remote villages in the country. Morocco’s King Mohammed VI instructed his military to conduct search and rescue missions and operate surgical field hospitals to assist remote villagers.

A man walks past destroyed houses after an earthquake in the mountain village of Tafeghaghte, southwest of the city of Marrakesh, on September 9, 2023.  (FADEL SENNA/AFP via Getty Images)

The earthquake was felt as far away as Portugal and Algeria. Despite the severe destruction, Morocco has not yet formally asked other countries for assistance.

Earthquakes are considered rare in North Africa: the Moroccan cities of Al Hoceima and Agadir were hit by earthquakes in 2004 and 1960, respectively.  The earthquake in Al Hoceima had a magnitude of 6.4, while Agadir’s was 5.8.

People, whose buildings are destroyed after a 7 magnitude earthquake, try to settle in empty areas in Marrakesh, Morocco on September 9, 2023. ( Abu Adem Muhammed/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)

The quake hit Marrakesh hard, ruining several historical buildings in the city. The city’s Koutoubia Mosque, which dates back to the 12th century, was damaged to an unknown extent.

The ancient red walls that surround the Medina of Marrakesh – a UNESCO World Heritage site – were also damaged by the quake.

“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,” Univ

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VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. – A preliminary 5.1-magnitude earthquake was reported in Ventura County Sunday afternoon – and then followed by about a dozen shocks.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the earthquake happened around 2:41 p.m. with a magnitude of 5.1. The quake was reported about 4.3 miles southeast of Ojai with about 9 miles in depth.

The series of shakes knocked over wine bottles at the Westridge Family Markets, a grocery store in Ojai. Thankfully, grocery store workers were able to clean up the mess shortly after the earthquakes hit the area.

LA Fire Department Chief Kristin Crowley says there have been no reports of any injuries or severe damage due to the tropical storm. She says a number of reports have been made about power lines down, there have been two debris flows reported in Sherman Oaks and at least one large tree toppled over in Westwood. Tenants of an apartment building in Koreatown reported a partial roof collapse, she says. The city Department of Water and Power is reporting power outages for about 5,000 customers, with Boyle Heights and Hollywood the most impacted areas.

USGS is asking those who felt the two earthquakes to report on the agency’s website.

Earthquake expert Lucy Jones wrote on X that the shaker appeared to have been preceded to a series of foreshocks that began Saturday morning. She said the area will likely continue to experience aftershocks, with a 5% chance of one that will be larger than the initial 5.1-magnitude quake.

“There is no correlation between the earthquake and the tropical storm,” she wrote. “Just a coincidence that is a good reminder thahttps://goodshepherdmedia.net/wp-admin/users.phpt disaster resilience is a multi-hazard endeavor.”

The series of quakes come as Southern California braces for Tropical Storm Hilary. Hilary made landfall in Baja California early Sunday afternoon and is expected to reach California in the evening.

As California awaits possible landfall, the severe weather from Sunday morning and afternoon has already knocked out power for Southern California residents and flooded roads.

Leading up to this weekend, the National Weather Service warned Southern California residents to avoid leaving the house as Hilary moved closer and closer to California.

“Hunker down and take it easy for Sunday and Monday,” the NWS advised Friday. “Stay off the roads.”

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