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Moroccan Quake May Have Killed Up to 300 People, LCI Reports


Feb. 24 (Bloomberg) -- At least 82 people are confirmed dead and as many as 300 may have died in a 6.5-magnitude earthquake in northern Morocco, France's LCI television reported, citing Moroccan officials.

The earthquake struck near the port of Al Hoceima on the Strait of Gibraltar, the U.S. Geological Survey said on its Web site. The quake occurred at 2:27 a.m. Moroccan time, all-news LCI said.

The tremor destroyed the village of Ait Kamara, LCI said. The final toll could go as high as 300, LCI said, citing an unidentified local official interviewed by Reuters.

The last big earthquake in the area was in May 1994 and had a magnitude of 5.7, LCI said, citing France's earth sciences observatory in Strasbourg