The American Geological Survey revealed today, Sunday, a new aftershock near the outskirts of Marrakech in Morocco with a magnitude of 3.9 on the Richter scale.

In turn, the Geophysical Institute in Morocco confirmed that aftershocks continue in the vicinity of Marrakech due to the Moroccan earthquake that occurred yesterday, Saturday, September 9, 2023, resulting in the deaths of many citizens, with the number of casualties reaching around 2012 dead and 2059 injured.

It is worth mentioning that the European-Mediterranean Seismological Center reported an earthquake with a magnitude of 4.5 on the Richter scale southwest of Marrakech, 77 kilometers away.

Recent press reports indicated that there are 1404 individuals in critical condition due to the devastating earthquake in Morocco, and accordingly, King Mohammed VI declared a three-day mourning period in the country and ordered a prayer for the souls of the earthquake victims in all mosques.

Moroccan Minister of Justice, Abdellatif Ouahbi, stated that several villages located near the center of the devastating earthquake have disappeared completely.

Ouahbi added in a television intervention that several old neighborhoods, some of them historical, in the city of Taroudant have been severely damaged.

He also pointed out that the authorities are working to shelter residents who are unable to return to their homes in the affected areas and are striving to overcome road disruptions in the Taroudant area, prioritizing the provision of basic services.

Several villages in the Al-Haouz region, the epicenter of the earthquake, witnessed significant destruction, with the village of Tikgt in the Moulay Brahim district near Chichaoua becoming devoid of people and life, having turned into rubble due to the severe consequences of the earthquake.

The authorities were compelled to resort to drones to assist field teams in locating bodies, in addition to using aerial planes to conduct a comprehensive survey of various material losses and to deliver humanitarian aid to residents in mountainous areas.

Mountainous villages in the Adassil community in the Al-Haouz region also experienced extensive destruction.

Id Eid al-Turzi, a professor of earthquake and natural disaster sciences at the Hashemite University in Jordan, stated that the earthquake that struck Morocco has a force equivalent to 25 nuclear bombs, in terms of the size of the explosion caused by these bombs.

He added that an earthquake with a magnitude of 7 on the Richter scale is extremely powerful and capable of causing ground acceleration at the earthquake's epicenter ranging from 200 to 300 cm² per second, which is capable of destroying structures, especially those not designed properly and are not earthquake-resistant and had not been studied well from geological and topographic perspectives.

Regarding the impact of the Moroccan earthquake on neighboring countries, Turzi ruled out that it would have stimulating effects on active disputes in the surrounding region, especially in African countries, North Africa, or the Middle East. Therefore, this could motivate or lead to similar destructive earthquakes in the area.

He clarified that the Richter scale is a scale and mathematical equation that has spread and evolved after its development, starting from a strength of 1, which is very weak and cannot be felt by humans, only by devices, and ending at 9 degrees, which is a tremendous and enormous force but rare.

When asked whether it is possible to predict such earthquakes before they occur, he stated that this is generally unpredictable because there are many reasons why scientists cannot know when earthquakes will occur, as there are not many precursors for their occurrence. However, sometimes—though rarely—an increase in activity may precede earthquakes, and small earthquakes of weak strength around 3 or 4 may occur before the main earthquake.

Eid al-Turzi continued, "Changes in the magnetic field at the earthquake's epicenter and in the electric field and in other layers of the earth may occur, which are not permanent, and scientists cannot rely on them in attempts to predict earthquakes," emphasizing that there are no fixed elements like the physical variables in the earth that scientists can rely on for accurate earthquake predictions.

Regarding the appointment of scientists to this area due to the occurrence of earthquakes of this magnitude, Turzi revealed that this area (i.e., Morocco) is far from plate boundaries, specifically the collision boundary between the African plate and the Eurasian plates, which lies about 400 kilometers to its south, so scientists ruled out the possibility of an earthquake of such magnitude occurring in this region.

It is believed that the Moroccan earthquake has altered many theories followed by seismologists and geologists, as the area is hundreds of kilometers away from plate boundaries, and it was not believed to be capable of generating an earthquake of this magnitude. He confirmed that this may modify some scientific concepts related to seismic focus and seismic zones and seismic potentials. The gaps can generate an earthquake of this strength in this area.

The World Bank expressed its full support for Morocco following the devastating earthquake that recently hit the country and resulted in the deaths and injuries of hundreds of people.

The bank stated in a statement carried by the American "CNN" network today, Sunday, "Our hearts are with the Moroccan people who are suffering from the effects of the devastating earthquake that caused heavy losses in lives, injuries, and damages in areas south of Marrakech."

The statement continued, "We have conveyed our deepest condolences to the kingdom at the highest levels and provided our full support to the country following this disaster," adding, "Our sole focus at this stage is on the Moroccan people and the authorities dealing with this tragedy."