Foreign governments offered condolences and aid after a powerful earthquake struck Morocco late on Friday, killing more than 1000 people and destroying buildings in the deadliest tremor to hit the country in decades. Read our live blog for all the latest developments. All times are Paris time (GMT+2).
📞 Crisis and support centres in Morocco and France
The Embassy of France in Morocco and the crisis and support centre of the Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs in Paris have opened crisis centres to respond to requests for information or help from French citizens.
In Morocco: +212 537689900
In France: +33 1 43 17 51 00
3:08pm: Spain on edge after tremor felt in Andalusia
“About 20 emergency calls were taken in Andalusia”, said FRANCE 24’s correspondent in Spain Sarah Morris, “and the National Geographic Institute has confirmed that there was a tremor was felt in Andalusia, basically in cities like Huelva, Sevilla, Cordoba and Malaga.”
This led the Andalusian emergency services to issue some guidelines to the public to tell them what to do in the event of an earthquake. “There is a lot of anxiety in Spain; it has already been hit recently by those strong floods in which several people died,” said Morris.
3:08pm: Algeria says it will open air space for humanitarian aid to Morocco
Algeria, which broke off ties with Morocco two years ago, said on Saturday it would open its air space for humanitarian and medical flights to Morocco, after a major earthquake there that killed over 1000 people.
Algeria severed diplomatic relations with Morocco in 2021, citing what it said were “hostile acts”. Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune said earlier this year that relations between the North African neighbours had reached “a point of no return”.
In a statement on Morocco’s quake, Algeria’s presidency said it was ready to provide humanitarian aid and offer all its material and human capabilities in solidarity with the brotherly Moroccan people, if Morocco requests such help.
3:02pm: Death toll rises to 1,037
More than 1,000 people have been killed and more than 1,200 injured in an earthquake near Marrakech that flattened homes and devastated mountain villages.
The Interior Ministry said Saturday afternoon that the death toll had reached 1,037, with 1,204 injured, 721 of them critically. The casualty toll was expected to climb as rescuers reached remote areas and dug through rubble for survivors or bodies.
1:52pm: Interior ministry issues death toll for different provinces
Morocco’s interior ministry on Saturday issued a death toll for the country’s different provinces.
These are the numbers: (the latest update was carried out at 10am local time, or 0900 GMT)
Al Haouz: 394
Taroudant: 271
Chichaoua: 91
Ouarzazate: 31
Marrakech : 13
Azilal: 11
Agadir Ida Outanane: 5
Greater Casablanca: 3
Youssoufia: 1
1:15pm: From Biden to Xi and the pope, world leaders express support for Morocco
US President Joe Biden on Saturday joined the chorus of world leaders to express their support for Morocco.
“I am deeply saddened by the loss of life and devastation caused by the earthquake in Morocco,” he said in a statement, adding the US is “ready to provide any necessary assistance”.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with all those impacted by this terrible hardship.”
China’s President Xi Jinping sent a message to express his “deep grief for the victims and sincere condolences to the families”, and said he hoped the country would be able to rebuild itself soon.
And Pope Francis expressed his “profound solidarity”.
12:18pm: ‘The earth started moving,’ FRANCE 24’s Wassim Nasr reports from Marrakech
‘The earth started moving… Everything started to fall down in a few seconds… The most impressive thing was the crowds screaming and running in those very narrow streets,’ FRANCE 24’s Wassim Nasr, who was in the Marrakech when the quake struck, reports from Morocco.
![](https://s.france24.com/media/display/63663078-4ef9-11ee-8392-005056a90321/w:980/p:16x9/EN_20230909_120136_120734_CS.jpg)
11:45: Death toll surpasses 800
The Moroccan interior ministry on Saturday once again revised the death toll of the massive earthquake, putting it at 820, with at least 672 injured.
11:19am: Epicentre difficult to reach, heavy casualties expected
The epicentre of Friday’s earthquake is located in a very remote mountainous area and will be very difficult for rescue teams to reach, FRANCE 24’s Foreign Editor James Andre explained, noting the casualty figures are therefore expected to rise.
“For now we don’t have any reports on what the situation in this area is exactly, only witnesses saying they haven’t been able to contact their families, or, as one lady was saying, that she had members of her family killed for sure,” he said.
“We can expect massive damage and heavy casualties.”
Watch the full analysis in the video below:
![](https://s.france24.com/media/display/f696c8de-4ef0-11ee-9f9c-005056bf30b7/w:980/p:16x9/EN_20230909_110303_110634_CS.jpg)
10:29am: Condolences pour in for Morocco, including from Ukraine, Russia and Turkey
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky on Saturday expressed solidarity with Morocco, expressing his country’s deepest condolences “for the lives lost in the horrible earthquake”.
“I wish those injured a fast recovery. Ukraine stands in solidarity with Morocco during this tragic time,” he wrote on social media.
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin followed suit.
“In Russia, we share the pain and the mourning of the friendly Moroccan people,” he said in message to Morocco’s King Mohammed VI.
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, whose country – along with Syria – was struck by devastating earthquakes in February this year, said: “We stand by our Moroccan brothers with all our means in this difficult day.”
In a separate statement, the Turkish foreign ministry said Ankara was ready to provide all kinds of support “to heal the wounds of the earthquake in Morocco”.
Dost ve kardeş Fas’ta meydana gelen deprem felaketinden etkilenen tüm Fas halkına geçmiş olsun dileklerimi iletiyorum. Hayatını kaybedenlere Allah’tan rahmet, yaralılara acil şifalar diliyorum. Bu zor gününde tüm imkânlarımızla Faslı kardeşlerimizin yanındayız. 🇹🇷🇲🇦
— Recep Tayyip Erdoğan (@RTErdogan) September 9, 2023
9:59am: France’s Macron ‘devastated’ by Morocco quake, promises aid
French President Emmanuel Macron said Saturday he was “devastated” by the earthquake in Morocco, which has killed at least 600 people, and offered to help relief efforts.
“We are all devastated after the terrible earthquake in Morocco,” Macron said on X, formerly known as Twitter, while onboard a flight to the G20 summit in India. “France stands ready to help with first aid.”
Nous sommes tous bouleversés après le terrible séisme au Maroc. La France se tient prête à aider aux premiers secours.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) September 9, 2023
8:48am: Death toll climbs
The earthquake has killed at least 632 people and injured 329 others, according to an updated interior ministry toll.
Of those injured, 51 are in critical condition, the ministry said.
(FRANCE 24 with AP, AFP, Reuters)