Morocco earthquake kills 2,000, no reported Korean deaths

Residents flee their homes after an earthquake in Moulay Brahim village, near the epicenter of the earthquake, outside Marrakech, Morocco, Saturday, Sept. 9, 2023. [AP/YONHAP]

There have been no reported deaths or injuries among Koreans in the recent earthquake in Morocco.

According to the Korean Foreign Ministry on Sunday, there are approximately 360 Koreans residing in the North African country.

The Korean embassy in Morocco has not received any reports of Korean casualties from the earthquake.

The earthquake, with a magnitude of 7, occurred late Friday in a region located 72 kilometers southwest of Marrakesh.

The Korean government has said that it will dispatch its emergency rescue team for search and rescue missions following the earthquake if there is a request from the Moroccan government.

In February, the Korean government sent a 118-strong Korea Disasters Relief Team (KDRT) to Turkey to assist in locating missing people after the country was struck by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake.

As of Sunday, it was estimated that more than 2,000 people had lost their lives due to the earthquake that occurred on Friday.

BY LEE HO-JEONG [lee.hojeong@joongang.co.kr]