Montreal, the home to Canada’s largest Moroccan community, woke up to devastating news on Saturday. Morocco’s central region was hit by a massive earthquake, the largest recorded in over a century. Reports from Morocco’s interior minister state that the death toll has now reached 1,037. The epicenter of the earthquake was in the High Atlas Mountains region, approximately 71km southwest of the popular tourist destination of Marrakech.
On a typical weekend morning, the La Amistad coffee shop in Montreal would be buzzing with soccer games, but on this particular Saturday, the atmosphere was somber. Mouslih Yassine, a Moroccan Montrealer who works at the shop, described it as a “dark Saturday.” He shared that the earthquake was the only topic his clients were discussing.
Yassine’s family resides in Casablanca, the largest city in Morocco, and they also experienced the effects of the earthquake. After the initial shock, his family had to sleep on the streets due to fear of a second earthquake. Yassine expressed sadness and hoped that the devastation would end there.
The impact of the earthquake extended to Rabat, the capital city of Morocco, located about 350 kilometers north of the epicenter. Noureddene Mosbah, who has family in Marrakech, described the situation as terrible. He mentioned that some people woke up with nothing and lacked access to basic necessities like water and food.
The majority of the victims are believed to be in remote villages near the mountainous area. Montreal’s Moroccan community gathered at La Amistad Cafe, seeking updates on the earthquake that had caused extensive damage and taken the lives of more than 1,000 people.
Serge Sasseville, a Montreal city councillor, was currently in Morocco and experienced the earthquake firsthand. He described the experience as terrifying and mentioned how he and his friends took shelter outside, expecting aftershocks. Sasseville reported a magnitude 4.9 aftershock 19 minutes later. Although no one in his immediate circle was injured, his friend’s house suffered damage and lost power during the quake.
Upon returning to Marrakech, Sasseville witnessed hundreds of people seeking refuge on sidewalks and in parks. He noted that Marrakech had fewer casualties compared to areas outside the city. The city’s main square and tourist attractions, including the historic Jemaa el Fnaa mosque, suffered significant damage.
Quebec Premier François Legault expressed condolences to the Moroccan people, acknowledging the resilience of Moroccans in face of such a catastrophe. This earthquake, with a magnitude of 6.8, is unprecedented in Morocco’s history.
The death toll is expected to rise as many people were likely trapped inside affected buildings. Around 1,200 people have already been reported injured. Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly urged Canadians in Morocco to register with Global Affairs Canada and offered support to those affected by the devastating quake.
The true impact of this earthquake is yet to be fully documented, and Global Affairs Canada is working on providing updates on the number of Canadians in Morocco at the time of the disaster.
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