Seraphim
02-24-2004, 08:19 AM
By ALI NAJI, Associated Press Writer
RABAT, Morocco - A powerful earthquake struck northern Morocco overnight Tuesday, toppling houses and killing at least 300 people, local authorities said. Many of the victims were women, children and the elderly.
The quake shook rural areas near the Mediterranean city of Al Hoceima, and there were deep worries about the fate of three outlying villages — Ait Kamra, Tamassint and Imzourn — where 30,000 people live in mud structures unable to withstand a major natural disaster.
"If we take into account the 140 people already killed in Al Kamra, we believe that the toll will rise to more than 300," a spokesman for village authorities told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey (news - web sites), the 6.5-magnitude quake was centered 100 miles northeast of Fes in the Mediterranean Sea. It occurred about one mile underground at 2:27 a.m. local time.
The death toll climbed steadily throughout the day as rescuers began reaching the hard-hit areas. Military and civilian rescuers were dispatched to the scene to help survivors and search for victims trapped under rubble, while helicopters filled with emergency supplies were preparing for takeoff.
However, rescuers reported difficulties in reaching the affected area, located in the foothills of the Rif Mountains and served by narrow, poor roads.
RABAT, Morocco - A powerful earthquake struck northern Morocco overnight Tuesday, toppling houses and killing at least 300 people, local authorities said. Many of the victims were women, children and the elderly.
The quake shook rural areas near the Mediterranean city of Al Hoceima, and there were deep worries about the fate of three outlying villages — Ait Kamra, Tamassint and Imzourn — where 30,000 people live in mud structures unable to withstand a major natural disaster.
"If we take into account the 140 people already killed in Al Kamra, we believe that the toll will rise to more than 300," a spokesman for village authorities told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey (news - web sites), the 6.5-magnitude quake was centered 100 miles northeast of Fes in the Mediterranean Sea. It occurred about one mile underground at 2:27 a.m. local time.
The death toll climbed steadily throughout the day as rescuers began reaching the hard-hit areas. Military and civilian rescuers were dispatched to the scene to help survivors and search for victims trapped under rubble, while helicopters filled with emergency supplies were preparing for takeoff.
However, rescuers reported difficulties in reaching the affected area, located in the foothills of the Rif Mountains and served by narrow, poor roads.