On September 8, at 11:11 pm local time a powerful earthquake of magnitude 6.8 struck central Morocco, a country in North Africa. The epicenter was about 70 kms from the popular city of Marrakesh, towards the Atlas mountains.
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It caused huge damage in several areas, as well as destroying large areas of the historic centre of Marrakech. Thousands of people are thought to have been killed or injured. King Mohammed VI has declared three days of national mourning. Many countries, including the UK and the US, have offered support, aid and help. The death toll from a powerful earthquake in Morocco has soared to more than 2,000, with a similar number of injured.
It was Morocco’s deadliest earthquake since Agadir was devastated by a 6.7-magnitude quake in 1960, which killed more than 12,000.
The Moroccan government says it has accepted aid from four countries so far – Britain, Spain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
France, the US and some other countries say they are also ready to help.
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