Moderate Earthquake Shakes Beni Mellal and Surrounding Areas in Central Morocco

Tuesday 02 January 2024 - 09:52

This morning, a moderate 4.9 magnitude earthquake rattled the city of Beni Mellal and its environs, causing residents to feel the ground shaking beneath them at 11:12 AM local time.

The epicenter of the quake was situated approximately 10 kilometers outside of Beni Mellal, and the tremors originated from a depth of 10 kilometers below the surface, as per the seismic monitoring network of the National Institute of Geophysics (NIG).

Local resident Ayoub El-Jemli shared his experience, stating, "It felt like my house was swaying back and forth for 10 to 15 seconds. A few things fell off shelves, and my dogs started barking like crazy."

Although assessments of damage are still ongoing, there have been no reports of injuries or significant infrastructure damage thus far. This seismic event comes on the heels of a similar occurrence last month, where a moderate 4.7 magnitude tremor affected the same region.

Situated along the fault lines of the Atlas Mountain range, the Beni Mellal-Khenifra region is acknowledged as an area with a relatively high seismic hazard in Morocco. Seismologists at the NIG are actively analyzing the data and monitoring aftershocks. In light of this, they advise local residents to adhere to earthquake safety protocols should further shaking occur.