Friday night’s earthquake, centered in Morocco’s High Atlas Mountains, was the strongest to hit the North African region in 120 years, according to updated data from the U.S. Geological Survey. The service recorded the earthquake as having a magnitude of 6.8 when it struck at 11:11 p.m. local time, and the shaking lasted several seconds. Morocco’s National Seismic Surveillance and Warning Network rated it a 7 on the Richter scale. A magnitude 4.9 aftershock was also reported 19 minutes later.
As of 16:30 Moscow time, the death toll from the earthquake in Morocco increased to 1,037 people. 1,204 people were injured, 721 of them in critical condition.
