Prime Minister António Costa said this Saturday that “Portugal stands with and is ready to support Morocco,” shaken by the strong earthquake on Friday evening, which has already killed at least 632 people.
“Last night’s earthquake in Morocco deeply saddened us and we express our condolences to His Majesty the King, the families of the victims and the entire Moroccan people, our neighbors,” he wrote on the social network X (formerly Twitter).
The President of the Assembly of the Republic, Augusto Santos Silva, also used the same social network to deplore the “terrible news” of the earthquake in Morocco, lamenting the “irreparable loss of life” and expressing “all solidarity” with the “friendly and neighboring country.”
The death toll from the strong earthquake that rocked Morocco rose to 632 this Saturday, according to a new report published by the Moroccan Ministry of Interior. There are also 329 wounded, 51 of whom are in serious condition, the ministry said in a statement, citing Spanish news agency EFE.
The ministry said 290 people died in Al-Haouz province, south of Marrakech and near the epicenter, 190 in Taroudante, 89 in Chichaoua, 30 in Ouarzazate, 13 in Marrakech, 11 in Azilal, five in Agadir, three in Casablanca and one in Al-Yusufiyah.
The earthquake reached a magnitude of 6.9 on the Richter scale with its epicenter in the city of Isis, 63 kilometers southwest of the city of Marrakech. The earthquake, which occurred at a depth of 18.5 kilometers at 23:11 local time (the same time in Lisbon), was felt in Portugal and Spain.
The Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA) stated that this was felt in the municipalities of Castro Marim, Faro, Loule, Portimão, Vila Real de Santo António (Faro), Cascais, Lisbon, Torres Vedras, Vila Franca- de Xira (Lisbon), Almada, Setubal and Sines (Setubal).
It was also felt with less intensity in the municipalities of Coimbra, Albufeira, Ollhan, Silves (Faro), Alenquera, Loures, Mafra, Oeiras, Sintra, Amadora, Odivelas (Lisbon), Santo Tirso, Vila Nova de Gaia (Porto) . , Santiago Casem, Seixal and Sesimbra (Setubal), added the institute.
According to images reproduced by the media, social networks and eyewitnesses, the earthquake caused significant damage to several cities.
The earthquake was also felt in Rabat, Casablanca, Agadir and Essaouira, causing panic among the population. Judging by images posted on social media, many people took to the streets of these cities, fearing that their houses would collapse.