Jewish Heart of Marrakesh in Ruins

AISH: Morocco’s ancient Jewish quarter was severely damaged by Friday’s earthquake.

The horrific 6.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Morocco on Friday night killed thousands of people; many more are injured or missing. International rescuers have been pouring into Morocco to help. Israel’s highly trained disaster relief experts are on stand-by, waiting for permission from Morocco to enter the country and help.

The epicenter of the earthquake was in the High Atlas mountain region, about 45 miles southwest of Marrakesh (also known as Marrakech), Morocco’s fourth-largest city. Much of Marrakesh has been damaged, including the city’s historic “Mellah,” or Jewish quarter. “It’s as if it was hit by a bomb,” explained Hafida Sahaouia, a resident of the quarter, whose own home was utterly destroyed. “We were preparing dinner when we heard something like explosions. Panicked, I quickly went outside with our children. Unfortunately, our house collapsed. We lost everything.” » | Dr. Yvette Alt Miller | Sunday, September 10, 2023

Morocco Earthquake: More Than 2,000 Killed – BBC News

Sep 10, 2023 | More than 2,000 people have been killed and more than 1,400 injured after a powerful earthquake struck in Morocco. Morocco’s king declared three days of national mourning and ordered shelter, food and other help for survivors. Many people are spending a second night out in the open.

Morocco Rescuers Slow to Reach Hardest Hit Areas After Quake

THE NEW YORK TIMES: It remained unclear how quickly emergency teams would be able to reach the victims and prevent more deaths. Many of the areas affected by the quake are remote mountain villages that are not easily accessible.

A rescuer searches for survivors under the rubble of a house destroyed in Moulay Brahim, Morocco, on Saturday. | Fadel Senna/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
Search and rescue efforts intensified on Saturday in Morocco after a powerful earthquake killed at least 1,000 people and injured hundreds more overnight, with national authorities deploying the military to hard-hit areas and foreign partners promising aid.

But it remained unclear how quickly emergency teams would be able to reach the victims and prevent more deaths. Many of the areas affected by the quake are remote mountain villages that are not easily accessible, and a statement on Saturday evening from the office of King Mohammed VI did not clarify whether the country would formally request foreign assistance to allow outside rescue teams to intervene.

The king ordered the country’s armed forces to deploy aircraft, helicopters and troops to help with the rescue efforts, according to a statement from the government. Local television showed images of trucks crammed with soldiers driving toward the devastated areas, in the High Atlas Mountains, in the southwest of the country.

Authorities said that about half of the victims were in the Haouz region, a rural area with many mud-brick houses and little earthquake-resistant infrastructure. » | Constant Méheut | Saturday, September 9, 2023

News Wrap: Rescuers Search for Survivors after Deadly Morocco Earthquake

Sep 9, 2023 | In our news wrap Saturday, the strongest earthquake in Morocco in over 120 years caused widespread damage and killed more than 1,300 people, the G20 summit of the world’s top economies took place in India, and a federal appeals court ruled against the Biden administration in a lawsuit involving social media companies.

«Pour les sismologues, le tremblement de terre au Maroc de la nuit dernière n'est pas une surprise» : ENTRETIEN - Le Maroc est un pays où le risque sismique existe, notamment du fait de la tectonique de la chaîne de montagnes du Haut Atlas, explique Robin Lacassin, directeur de recherche à l'Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris. »

Morocco Earthquake Death Toll Exceeds 1,000

Sep 9, 2023 | The death toll of the 6.8-magnitude earthquake that struck Morocco has exceeded 1,000 as emergency personnel begin search and rescue missions to find survivors among the rubble. NBC News' Matt Bradley reports on how personnel will deal with remote communities and combing through centuries-old infrastructure.

Powerful Earthquake Rocks Morocco

NEW YORK TIMES LIVE UPDATES HERE.

LIVE EN COURS : Séisme au Maroc en direct : après le tremblement de terre qui a fait plus de 630 morts : « C’est comme si on avait été frappé par une bombe » : A Marrakech, une des villes touchées dans le centre du pays, les petites ruelles du quartier juif de la médina sont jonchées de débris, et de vieilles bâtisses se sont affaissées. Beaucoup d’habitants ont passé la nuit à dormir à même le sol, parfois sans couvertures. »

AUF DEUTSCH: Mehr als 600 Tote bei starkem Erdbeben in Marokko: Ein schweres Erdbeben hat den Südwesten Marokkos erschüttert. Das Innenministerium spricht von mindestens 632 Toten und vielen Verletzten. Bilder und Videos aus sozialen Netzwerken zeigen zerstörte Gebäude. »

Morocco Earthquake: Hundreds Dead as Buildings Fall and People Flee Homes

THE GUARDIAN: Old city in Marrakech among areas hit in quake measuring at least 6.8 and centred in High Atlas mountains

A powerful earthquake in Morocco’s High Atlas mountains has killed hundreds of people after buildings collapsed and people fled their shuddering homes in several cities and towns.

Residents of Marrakech, the nearest major city to the epicentre, said some buildings had collapsed in the old city, a Unesco world heritage site. Initial reports said part of a minaret that towered over Jemaa el-Fnaa, a market square and hub for visitors, had collapsed, injuring two people, before local residents fled to the open area of the square to seek shelter.

Local television showed piles of rubble and broken pipes crushing parked cars and blocking streets across Marrakech, as residents rushed into the street after the quake struck at 11.11pm on Friday. State TV showed people wrapped in blankets sleeping in the street, fearing further aftershocks. (With video) » | Ruth Michaelson | Saturday, September 9, 2023

GUARDIAN LIVE UPDATES HERE.

Deadly Earthquake Rocks Southwestern China – BBC News

At least 65 people have been killed after a 6.6 magnitude earthquake hit southwestern China, state media said.

Earthquake in Afghanistan Kills as Many as 280 People, Officials Say

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The 5.9 magnitude quake struck about 28 miles southwest of the city of Khost, in the country’s southeast.

A photo released by the state-run news agency Bakhtar of earthquake destruction in Paktika Province, in eastern Afghanistan. The 5.9 magnitude earthquake, which struck early Wednesady, was felt across several provinces.Credit...Bakhtar News Agency, via Associated Press
KABUL, Afghanistan — A 5.9 magnitude earthquake struck southeastern Afghanistan overnight, killing as many as 280 people and injuring more than 600 others, the country’s state-run Bakhtar news agency said on Wednesday.

The quake struck early Wednesday morning about 28 miles southwest of the city of Khost, a provincial capital in the country’s southeast, the United States Geological Survey said, and it had a depth of about six miles.

Raees Hozaifa, the director of information and culture in the eastern province of Paktika, said the earthquake was felt across several provinces, and that death toll in Paktika alone was at least 250 people.

“We have 250 bodies, around 150 wounded,” he said, adding that more than 100 homes had been destroyed across four districts of the province. A rescue effort was underway, he said. » | Safiullah Padshah and Mike Ives | Wednesday, June 22, 2022

Earthquake in Australia Forces Hospitals and Residents to Evacuate

THE NEW YORK TIMES: The 5.9-magnitude quake damaged buildings in Melbourne, but there were no immediate reports of serious injuries or deaths.

Damaged buildings along Chapel Street in Melbourne after an earthquake on Wednesday. | Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images
THE NEW YORK TIMES: The 5.9-magnitude quake damaged buildings in Melbourne, but there were no immediate reports of serious injuries or deaths.

MELBOURNE, Australia — A magnitude 5.9 earthquake hit southeast Australia on Wednesday morning, damaging buildings and forcing hospitals to evacuate staff members and patients. It was an unusually large quake in a country less susceptible to major temblors than neighboring countries.

There were no immediate reports of serious injuries or deaths, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said at a news conference from New York, where he was attending the U.N. General Assembly.

It was the largest onshore earthquake in the state of Victoria in recorded history, according to Adam Pascale, chief scientist at the Seismology Research Center. And it was the largest land earthquake in the country since 2016, when a 6.1-magnitude temblor hit the Northern Territory, according to Geoscience Australia.

The quake on Wednesday collapsed the walls of buildings in Melbourne, Australia’s second-largest city and the capital of Victoria. It forced residents to flee apartments, shattered windows, left cracks in roads and led to power outages.

Photos and videos shared widely on social media show a damaged building in Melbourne, with bricks spewed across the street. » | Yan Zhuang | Tuesday, September 21, 2021

Mexico Hit by Powerful 7.0-magnitude Earthquake, Killing At Least One

THE GUARDIAN: A man was killed and buildings were damaged in the resort city of Acapulco, and the quake was also felt in Mexico City

A powerful earthquake has struck south-west Mexico near the beach resort of Acapulco, killing at least one man who was crushed by a falling post, and causing rock falls and damaging buildings.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) said a 7.0 magnitude quake struck 11 miles (18km) north-east of the resort of Acapulco, Guerrero, in the early hours of Wednesday sending people running into the street for safety.

The quake shook the hillsides around the resort, downing trees and pitching large boulders on to the road. » | Staff and agencies | Wednesday, September 8, 2021

Haiti Struck by 7.2-Magnitude Earthquake

THE GUARDIAN: US Geological Survey says quake struck about 150km west of Port-au-Prince at about 8.30am local time

Haiti has been struck by a major 7.2-magnitude earthquake.

The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the quake struck about 150km (93 miles) west of the capital, Port-au-Prince, at about 8.30am local time and had a depth of 10km.

The earthquake, which was felt across the Caribbean, including in Cuba and Jamaica, comes just over a month after Haiti’s president, Jovenel Moïse was murdered at his residence in Port-au-Prince. » | Tom Phillips, Latin America correspondent | Saturday, August 14, 2021

Powerful Earthquake Strikes Haiti: Seismologists reported that a magnitude 7.2 quake struck in the west of the country, and heavy damage was reported in at least two cities. »


Un séisme de magnitude 7,2 secoue Haïti : Une alerte au tsunami a été lancée dans la foulée. Des édifices religieux, des écoles et des habitations ont été endommagés lors du tremblement de terre. »

Deadly Earthquake Hits Indonesia's Sulawesi Island | DW News

An earthquake struck Indonesia's Sulawesi island early on Friday morning, leaving at least 34 people dead and injuring over 600 others. The head of the local disaster mitigation agency Ali Rahman told AFP that "the latest information we have is that 26 people are dead in Mamuju city." The national disaster agency said that a further eight people had died to the south of the city. Many buildings were damaged. Two hospitals and the building that houses the provincial government offices collapsed, said Muhammad Idris, secretary to the governor on national television. A large number of people are trapped under the rubble, officials said. The epicenter of the 6.2 magnitude quake was 6 kilometers (3.73 miles) northeast of Majene city and measured at a depth of 18 kilometers. Thousands of people left their homes when the quake hit. They were evacuated to temporary shelters.

Turkey's Izmir Hit with Magnitude 7.0 Earthquake | DW News

Turkey has been struck by a powerful earthquake off its Aegean coast, causing buildings to collapse in the coastal city of Izmir. The quake's epicenter was north of the Greek island of Samos, with the US Geological Survey putting it at a magnitude of 7.0. Tremors were felt as far away as Athens and Istanbul. In Izmir, social media footage showed a collapsed building. There are no immediate reports of casualties.


Earthquake Rattles Western Turkey and Greece, Killing at Least 4 »

Albania Hit by Most Severe Earthquake in Decades | DW News

At least 13 people have been killed in Albania and hundreds more injured in the most powerful earthquake to hit the country in decades. The 6.4 magnitude quake struck 30 kilometers northwest of the capital Tirana, causing buildings to collapse and sending panicked residents out into the streets. It's the second earthquaketo have hit the country in the past two months.

Powerful Earthquake Rocks New Zealand

A 7.8-magnitude earthquake has rocked New Zealand, prompting a tsunami warning and knocking out power and phone services in many parts of the country. Prime Minister John Key said at least two people were killed in the powerful temblor.

Powerful Earthquake Rattles US State of Oklahoma

The US state of Oklahoma experienced one of its biggest earthquakes on Saturday. But the magnitude 5.6 tremor may have been due to fracking - a process used to extract gas from deep underground. Al Jazeera’s Kimberly Halkett reports.

Pescara del Tronto Ruins: Drone Buzzes Earthquake Zone in Italy

Drone footage filmed on Thursday shows the ruins of the earthquake-stricken city of Pescara del Tronto in the Marche region, central Italy.

More Than 70 Reported Dead After Strong Earthquake Rocks Central Italy

Tsunami Advisory For Hawaii, Parts of California After Chile Quake

Read the article here Henry Austin and Alastair Jamieson | Thursday, September 17, 2015
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