3.2-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Al Hoceima Province in Morocco

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A moderate earthquake measuring 3.2 on the Richter scale struck Al Hoceima province on Wednesday. Residents across surrounding towns and villages reported the tremor. Nasser Jbour, head of Morocco’s National Institute of Geophysics, said the quake is part of ongoing seismic activity in the region, which has been active for decades. Jbour noted that activity alternates between periods of relative calm and heightened seismic events. The Al Hoceima region has experienced repeated quakes since 1994, with notable sequences in 2004 and 2016, reflecting its geologically active nature. He said moderate or minor earthquakes are common in such zones and do not necessarily signal a larger quake, and added that the area saw noticeable offshore seismic activity in 2021 consisting of clusters of quakes over short periods, which is normal for the region’s tectonic behavior. Jbour emphasized that the recent tremor was limited in intensity.