Although speculation is circulating regarding a possible second major tremor following the first earthquake recorded overnight from Friday to Saturday in Morocco, the National Institute of Geophysics (ING) assures that possible aftershocks will not be felt, except nearby immediate to the epicenter.
Friday evening, a earthquake measuring 7 on the Richter scale shook several cities in Morocco. The epicenter was located at latitude 30.961 degrees north and longitude 8.413 degrees west, at a depth of 8 kilometers, in the commune of Ighlil, in the province of Al Haouz.
This strong shock thus generated great unrest among the inhabitants of Rabat, Kénitra, Salé, Marrakech and Agadir, among others. The streets filled with lost and confused citizens. Anxiety grew as information from various sources, including foreign institutes, circulated online, suggesting that an aftershock of similar magnitude could occur after the initial tremor.
This climate of uncertainty has given rise to much concern among the population, who are carefully monitoring the evolution of the situation. However, the authorities have not issued any alert.
Asked by Hespress FR in this regard, Nasser Jebbour, head of division at the National Institute of Geophysics (ING), explained that the institute had already recorded hundreds of aftershocks, including one reaching a magnitude of 6 on the scale. of Richter, which is probably the strongest.
” Currently there have been a few hundred aftershocks, but most of them have not been felt“, he clarified. As for information claiming that a new major aftershock could occur between 2 a.m. and 4 a.m., Jebbour reassured by emphasizing that aftershocks will only be felt in areas close to the epicenter within a 40km radius.
According to the head of division at ING, the first tremor hit an area extending over approximately 400 km of Al Haouz province. He said that a magnitude 7 tremor is of considerable magnitude which had never been recorded before in Morocco.
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