Morocco quake kills at least 550
At least 550 people are feared dead after a powerful earthquake devastated northern Morocco early Tuesday.
The quake, which measured 6.5 on the Richter scale, was felt most strongly in the Mediterranean coastal city of Al Hoceima at 02:27 local time (02:27 GMT) as Moroccans slept inside their homes.
The victims were mainly women, children, and the elderly, police said.
Survivors said the violent jolt pulverised many houses.
It is feared people living in three nearby villages – Ait Kamra, Tamassint, and Imzourn – could be at risk as many live in mudbrick homes.
Moroccan health minister Mohamed Cheikh Biadillah said at least 564 people were killed in the quake.
A 4.1-magnitude aftershock hit near Al Hoceima at 11:04am, according to the MAP news agency. It is thought the quake was felt up to 200 miles away in Algeria.
Morocco’s deadliest earthquake was in 1960, when 15,000 people were killed after a quake rocked the southern city of Agadir and surrounding areas.
An earthquake hit northern Algeria on May 21, 2003, killing 2,200 people and leaving 10,000 injured.
