Morocco's deadliest earthquake since 1960, killing at least 2,960 and affecting over 2.8 million people across the Atlas Mountains region.
Key Facts
- Moment Magnitude
- 6.9 Mw
- Death Toll
- At least 2,960
- People Affected
- Over 2.8 million
- Epicenter Distance from Marrakesh
- 73.4 km southwest
- Maximum Mercalli Intensity
- IX (Violent)
- Time of Occurrence
- 22:11 UTC, 8 September 2023
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The earthquake resulted from shallow oblique-thrust faulting beneath the Atlas Mountains in Morocco's Al Haouz Province. Tectonic stress along this fault system produced a sudden rupture at relatively shallow depth, amplifying ground shaking intensity across a wide area and increasing the destructive potential for surrounding communities.
On 8 September 2023 at 22:11 UTC, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake struck near the town of Ighil in Al Haouz Province, approximately 73.4 km southwest of Marrakesh. With a maximum Mercalli intensity of IX, the quake caused widespread destruction of buildings and historic landmarks in Marrakesh and surrounding Atlas Mountain villages, and was felt as far away as Spain, Portugal, and Algeria.
At least 2,960 people were killed, with most deaths occurring outside Marrakesh, and over 2.8 million people were affected, including 100,000 children. Morocco declared three days of national mourning, and numerous countries offered humanitarian assistance. The earthquake was the strongest instrumentally recorded in Morocco and the deadliest in the country since the 1960 Agadir earthquake.
Human Cost
Each dot represents approximately 10,000 deaths. Total estimated: 2,960 (earthquake)