TUNIS, Sept 23 (NNN-SPUTNIK) — Almost 3,000 villages with a total population of over 2.8 million people have been affected by the devastating earthquake in Morocco, media reported on Friday.
The figure was announced during a joint meeting of the financial committees of both houses of the Moroccan parliament, state media reported, adding that the session reviewed the measures taken by the government to deal with the aftermath of the earthquake.
A total of 2,930 municipalities with a population of more than 2.8 million people were affected, while the number of collapsed buildings reached 59,647, with 32% of them completely destroyed, the report said.
Moroccan media reported Wednesday that Rabat intends to spend 120 billion Moroccan dirhams ($11.7 billion) over the next five years to rebuild earthquake-hit areas.
The five-year program will reportedly cover six regions of the country with a total population of about 4.2 million people.
On Sept 9, a 6.9-magnitude earthquake hit Morocco 77 kilometers (48 miles) southwest of the city of Marrakesh with a population of 839,000 people. The epicenter of the earthquake was located at a depth of 10 kilometers, and was followed by at least four aftershocks of up to 4.8-magnitude.
According to data from the Moroccan Interior Ministry, the quake killed 2,946 people and injured more than 5,600. King Mohammed VI declared a three-day mourning in the country. — NNN-SPUTNIK
