Marrakesh, one of Morocco’s most popular tourist destinations, suffered a major internet outage on Saturday, following a powerful earthquake that killed at least 632 people and injured hundreds more in the region.
The internet connectivity was disrupted in Marrakesh due to power cuts caused by the 6.8-magnitude quake that struck near the city on Friday night.
The outage affected both fixed and mobile networks, as well as online services such as banking, e-commerce, and social media. It has been estimated that the impact was equivalent to losing access to 1.2 million users.
The internet disruption added to the challenges faced by the authorities and the residents in coping with the aftermath of the quake, which was the strongest in Morocco in over a century.
The quake damaged many buildings and infrastructure in Marrakesh and nearby provinces, especially in the old city, a UNESCO world heritage site. The tremors were also felt in other cities such as Rabat, Casablanca, and Essaouira, as well as in neighboring Algeria.