“On behalf of all Rwandans, I express our deepest sympathy and solidarity with King Mohammed VI, the families of the victims and the people of Morocco in this moment of profound tragedy. Rwanda stands with Morocco in this difficult time,” he tweeted.

The destructive earthquake, measuring a magnitude of 6.8, struck Morocco during the night transitioning from Friday to Saturday, exacting a grim toll with over 2,000 fatalities and leaving more than 2,000 individuals injured.

This earthquake, the most powerful to hit the North African nation in a century, occurred late on Friday, devastating several regions, including El-Houz, Taroudant, Chichaoua, Tiznit, Marrakech, Azilal, Agadir, Casablanca, and Youssoufia.

In response, it has garnered a global outpouring of support, with leaders from around the world offering their condolences and assistance.

As of September 10th, the casualties stand at a tragic 2,012 people reported killed, with 2,059 others injured, including 1,404 individuals in critical condition. The majority of the fatalities occurred in the al-Haouz municipality. Approximately 380,000 people were impacted by the earthquake’s devastation within a 50 km radius of the epicenter, with nearly 30,000 residing within 15 km, making them the most severely affected.

More than 100 Rwandans are residing in Morocco, with 96 of them being students pursuing various academic endeavors at different universities, while the remaining individuals include approximately ten officials from Rwanda’s embassy in the country.

Rwanda’s Ambassador to Morocco, Zaina Nyiramatama, has informed IGIHE that Rwandan students are dispersed across different cities and are part of their respective committees, aiding them in reporting their current situation. The embassy has also reached out to two Rwandans who were residing in the earthquake-hit city of Marrakesh at the time of the incident, advising them to evacuate through the proper channels established by the government.

A three-day mourning period has been declared in honor of the earthquake victims, following the disaster. The catastrophe has also resulted in the destruction of several infrastructures, primarily in the Red City of Marrakech.

President Kagame has sent condolences to the King of Morocco, Mohammed VI and the people of Morocco following devastating earthquake.