The Moroccan royal palace on September 9 declared three days of national mourning in the country, following the deadly earthquake that struck on the night of September 8, killing more than 1,000 people.
The statement was released by the Moroccan state news agency MAP after King Mohamed VI chaired a meeting to discuss the disaster. “Three days of national mourning have been decided, with flags on all public buildings at half-mast,” the statement said.
The meeting was held after the earthquake on the night of September 8, the most serious natural disaster to hit the North African country in decades. The quake struck about 70 kilometers southwest of the popular tourist city of Marrakesh, killing at least 1,037 people and injuring 1,204 others, many of them in critical condition.