Rabat – Morocco’s National Geophysical Institute (ING) recorded an earthquake of 4.9 degrees on the Richter scale in the province of Taounate, 87 kilometers from the city of Fez, on June 30.
ING declared that the tremor’s epicenter was in the rural commune of Ouled Daoud and occurred at 7:00:42 a.m. local time.
The quake was five kilometers deep, at a latitude of 34.402 degrees North and a longitude of 4.756 degrees West, ING added.
Taounate is located in north-eastern Morocco. The region has experienced several earthquakes, including a quake with a magnitude of 2.0 degrees on the Richter scale, on March 15, that hit the province of Driouch, 55 kilometers from the city of Nador.
A stronger quake of a magnitude of 4.0 degrees on the Richter scale hit the province of Driouch on December 5, 2019.
The city of Nador, experienced a stronger quake of a magnitude of 5.2 on the Richter scale, on January 21, 2016.
Al Hoceima experienced a devastating earthquake of 6.3 degrees in 2004. The tremor had a maximum perceived intensity of IX (violent) on the Mercalli intensity scale.
The natural disaster of Al Hoceima killed more than 600 people, injured 926, and left 15,000 homeless.
In 1960, the southern city of Agadir recorded the deadliest earthquake in the history of Morocco, a violent shake of 5.8 degrees with a maximum perceived intensity of X (extreme) on the Mercalli intensity scale.
The 1960 tremor claimed the lives of over 15,000, injured 12,000, and left 35,000 homeless.
