Morocco is one of the key nodes of the Belt and Road Initiative, located in the northwest corner of the African continent, bordering the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, and backing Algeria. Geologically, Morocco is located at the junction of the African and Eurasian plates. The collision of the Iberian plate with the African plate formed the Lif Mountains in the west and the Atlas Mountains in the center. This makes the earthquake one of Morocco's worst natural disasters.

According to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC), at 23:11 local time on September 8, 2023 (Beijing time on September 9, 2023 at 6:01), Morocco, a magnitude 6.9 earthquake, the focal depth of 10 kilometers, the epicenter is located in Marrakech city, Morocco about 87 kilometers southwest direction. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), it was the strongest earthquake to hit the area in more than 100 years. Since 1900, no earthquake of magnitude 6 or greater has occurred within 500 kilometers of the region, and only nine earthquakes of magnitude 5 or greater have occurred. As of September 13, Beijing time, the strong earthquake has killed 2,901 people in Morocco and injured 5,530, while aftershocks still occur in the affected area.

IKCEST-DRR organized data collection and consolidation quickly after the earthquake disaster. Through this data sharing column, IKCEST-DRR would provide sharing services to global users to support emergency disaster relief and post disaster reconstruction in earthquake-affected areas of Morocco.

(Images from the CCTV news)