More than 20 aftershocks rattled northwestern Morocco through the night and into Wednesday morning in the wake of the killer earthquake on Tuesday that claimed more than 560 lives in the region of Al Hoceima.
One of the aftershocks measured 4,2 on the Richter scale, after the primary quake that registered 6,3.
Experts said the aftershocks did not represent an immediate danger, but advised people to stay away from damaged houses in case they collapsed.
The earthquake devastated several villages near Al Hoceima. Ait-Kamara was nearly entirely destroyed, and dozens of houses collapsed in Im-Zouren.
Rescuers had not yet reached some of the most remote villages over poor roads, according to local media. The death toll was expected to rise.
King Mohammed VI was expected to arrive in the affected region from Tangier. Officials said he would probably visit the Al Hoceima hospital, which has been overwhelmed by the arrival of hundreds of injured victims.
Spain sent two aircraft carrying rescuers and medicine. Other countries including France, Germany, Portugal and the United States also promised assistance.
The National Geographical Institute in Spain estimated the intensity at 6,1 points on the Richter scale, and said the quake was centred 15km southeast of the port of Al Hoceima, about 50km west of the Spanish-ruled North African enclave of Melilla.
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.
US Geological Survey spokesperson Butch Kinerney said the earthquake’s strength and depth could lead to damage along the coasts. He said the quake was likely to have been felt up to 320km away in Algeria.
The last large earthquake to hit the area measured six on the Richter scale 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. — Sapa-DPA, Sapa-AP
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