earthquake
The Egyptian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid stressed Egypt’s full solidarity with the Afghan people in this ordeal, wishing the injured a speedy recovery.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shokry made a phone call Tuesday to Moroccan counterpart Nasser Borita.
Egyptian Ambassador to Morocco Yasser Othman stated Sunday that communications are underway with authorities to follow up on the circumstances of the Egyptian community.
President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi offered his sincere condolences to the Moroccan people and King Mohammed VI for the victims of the terrible earthquake that killed more than 2,000 people and left over 1,400 others in critical condition on Friday night.
A 6.8-magnitude quake struck in Morocco’s High Atlas Mountain range shortly after 11 p.m. local time at the relatively shallow depth of 18.5 kilometers (11.4 miles), USGS said, with the epicenter located about 72 kilometers (44.7 miles) southwest of Marrakech, a city of some 840,000 people and a popular tourist destination, according to CNN.
The Moroccan ambassador also expressed his thanks to Ahmed Aboul Gheit, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States, for his sympathy and solidarity with the Kingdom of Morocco.
Moroccan television announced that the number of victims of the devastating earthquake that struck the Kingdom had risen to 632 dead and 329 injured.
The earthquake took place at 1:28 AM today at a depth of 23 kilometers, NRIAG said, affirming that no damage or casualties have been reported.
The assistance came upon President Abdel Fattah El Sisi’s directives to support the Syrian and Turkish victims affected by the twin earthquakes (7.8 and 7.5 magnitudes) that claimed the lives of more than 50,000 people since Feb. 6.
Shoukry’s visit to Turkey and Syria is the first visit by an Egyptian foreign minister in a decade.
On Sunday, the Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Shoukry will head to Syria and Turkey to extend a message of solidarity to both countries in the wake of the devastating 7.8 magnitude quake, which has killed over 50,000 people and displaced millions.
The minister will also affirm Egypt's constant distance to provide assistance and aid to those affected by the disaster, the press statement highlighted.
New Egyptian ship loaded with hundreds of tons of relief materials departed Al-Arish port Friday, per president Abdel Fattah al Sisi directives heading to Turkey and Syria.
No earthquake had occurred in Cairo and the tremor that was felt is an aftershock struck Turkey, said Gad El-Kady, head of the National Institute for Astronomical Research, in comments to local media.
In Syria, the death toll hit 5,814 people, raising the tally of victims in the two countries to nearly 47,000 following the devastating the earthquakes, TRT World reported.
An Egyptian ship loaded with about 500 tons of relief materials to help deal with earthquake effects and support relief effort arrived at Lattakia port on Monday, according to Syrian news agency [SANA].
This raises the number of Egyptians who have been found dead due to the quake to three as the ministry had also revealed a day after the incident that the bodies of two Egyptians were found under the rubble in the same district.
This comes amid concerns of a health crisis in the two countries as the number of confirmed deaths continues to rise with the earthquake flattening buildings and leaving many people under the rubble.
The Ministry of Immigration and Egyptian Expats indicated in a statement Thursday that there would be coordination with the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research.
The earthquake took place in Central Turkey and in Western Syria, leaving around 11,000 deaths, and more than 40,000 injuries.
