9th September, 2023
President Bola Tinubu has extended his heartfelt condolences to King Mohammed VI of Morocco following Saturday’s devastating earthquake in his homeland, which claimed many lives.
The President commiserates with all families who lost loved ones and all those otherwise affected by this tragedy, while wishing a full and swift recovery to those who were injured.
Tinubu, in a statement issued by his spokesman, Chief Ajuri Ngelale assured the government and people of Morocco that the heartfelt prayers and thoughts of Nigerians were with them during this difficult moment of tragedy.
“In the face of this adversity, Nigeria will continue to stand in solidarity with Morocco as they recover, rebuild and come out stronger than ever from this unfortunate event,” the President assured.
Morocco, North Africa, was hit by a massive earthquake on Friday night leading to the death of over 650 people, with death rate still expected to rise.
The magnitude 7.2 quake struck in Morocco’s High Atlas mountains late on Friday night. A local official said most deaths were in mountain areas that were hard to reach.
The quake damaged buildings in Marrakech, the nearest big city to the epicenter, where residents spent the night in the open, afraid to go home.
A mosque minaret had fallen in Jemaa al-Fna Square, the heart of Marrakech’s old city, a UNESCO World Heritage site.