Posted on 02/24/2004 5:00:45 AM PST by nuconvert
Earthquake Strikes Northeast Morocco, at Least 150 Dead
By Mohamed Moustaid / Associated Press Writer
Feb. 24, 2004
RABAT, Morocco (AP) - A powerful earthquake struck northern Morocco early Tuesday, toppling houses and killing at least 150 people, the official Moroccan news agency reported. The 6.5-magnitude quake shook rural areas near the coastal city of Al-Hoceima, officials said, and there was concern about the fate of three villages - Ait Kamra, Tamassint and Imzourn - where 30,000 people live in mud homes unable to withstand a major temblor.
The death toll steadily climbed 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.
The death toll was expected to rise throughout the day, the Interior Ministry said.
The quake - which reverberated across the Strait of Gibraltar - was felt across much of southern Spain, but no damage or injuries were reported there.
News reports said it was most noticed in tall apartment blocks of southern Andalucia and southeast Murcia. The quake was also felt in the Spanish North African enclave of Melilla.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, 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.
A physician at Mohammed V hospital in Al-Hoceima told French television station LCI that there were "many deaths and many injured."
"Most of the injured have broken bones," he said. "Houses collapsed. It was a very, very violent jolt."
Another physician at the hospital told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity that hundreds of people were injured and that he expected the death toll to go to at least 200.
Al-Hoceima is the largest city in northern Morocco and is populated by Berbers. The region suffers from extreme poverty and underdevelopment and has been neglected by the government for decades following a rebellion in 1960.
The local economy is sustained by fishing and by farmers who grow cannabis.
U.S. Geological Survey spokesman Butch Kinerney said the earthquake's strength and depth could lead to damage along the coasts. He said the quake would likely be felt up to 200 miles away in Algeria.
The quake - which reverberated across the Strait of Gibraltar - was felt across much of southern Spain, but no damage or injuries were reported. News reports said it was most noticed in tall apartment blocks of southern Andalucia and southeast Murcia. The quake was also felt in the Spanish North African enclave of Melilla.
An unrelated temblor Monday evening shook the Alps region in southeast France. No injuries or damage were reported.
The last large earthquake to hit the area measured 6.0 and struck in 1994. But Morocco's deadliest earthquake was in 1960, when 15,000 people were killed after a devastating quake shook the southern city of Agadir and surrounding regions.
The last time a major earthquake battered North Africa was on May 21, 2003, when more than 2,200 people were killed and 10,000 injured after a temblor devastated northern Algeria.
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