A seismology professor, Haluk Eyidogan, who sits on the city’s science council focused on earthquake issues, spoke about the regional earthquake risk with clarity. He stated that a repeat of the dramatic double quake seen in other regions is not expected in Morocco, unlike the February tremors that rattled parts of Turkey. Eyidogan emphasized that while the night-time quake in Morocco was significant, it did not come as an unforeseen event to specialists who study fault lines and plate movements in that area.
According to his assessment, this region has a documented history of powerful earthquakes. The African plate is gradually shifting at a rate of roughly 4 to 10 millimeters each year, a slow drift that builds both strong seismic events and numerous smaller quakes over time. That long-term movement helps explain why the area experiences frequent ground shaking, even when individual events may vary in size and impact. Eyidogan noted that the recurrence of such seismic activity is a matter of geological time scales rather than a forecastable moment, underscoring the limits of short-term prediction in seismology.
He also pointed out that predicting whether a similar strong earthquake will occur again in the nearby future would be speculative at best. The science surrounding earthquakes relies on probabilistic assessments, historical records, and continual monitoring, not on precise foretelling. In his view, making definitive statements about a near-term event would misrepresent the nature of seismic risk assessment, which weighs many variables and uncertainties before drawing conclusions.
When commenting on the February event in another region, Eyidogan stressed that such double earthquakes are exceedingly rare. Consequently, residents and authorities should not expect a like scenario in Marrakesh or other parts of Morocco. The comment served to remind the public that each tectonic setting behaves in its own distinct way, with unique fault structures, rock types, and stress histories that shape how earthquakes unfold in a given locale.
Separately, a spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Maria Zakharova, indicated that Russian citizens in Morocco were unharmed by the quake and its aftershocks. The statement reflected prompt communication with nationals and a focus on safety and emergency information for travelers and residents from Russia. The message underscored that official travel advisories and consular assistance would continue to address any developing needs in the affected areas.
Earlier reporting noted that in Tinghir, Morocco, some houses built from clay collapsed, highlighting the vulnerability of less-durable structures in the face of strong ground shaking. This scenario underscores the importance of building resilience, especially in regions where traditional construction methods intersect with modern seismic hazard expectations. It also illustrates why authorities stress the value of retrofitting and enforcing earthquake-resistant design in both urban and rural communities, where the risk profile can vary widely from one neighborhood to the next.