The world remains gripped by fear and astonishment in the aftermath of the catastrophic earthquake that struck Marrakech and its surrounding areas in Morocco on Friday night, claiming over 2,000 lives. As the death toll rises, authorities scour for surveillance footage capturing every moment leading up to, during, and after this disaster.
Recent revelations show security cameras in one of the city's residences capturing enigmatic bursts of blue light in the sky, approximately three minutes before the powerful earthquake. The cause of this phenomenon remains elusive, and whether it is a harbinger of impending calamity remains unknown.
Witness the footage:
أحد الأخوان من المغرب الشقيق أرسل لي هذا المقطع الغريب من كاميرا مراقبة لمنزله في مدينة أغادير لحظة وقوع الزلزال…ظهرت ومضات ضوء زرقاء غامضة في الأفق ولا أحد يعرف ماهي.مع العلم أن هذه الأضواء ظهرت نفسها لحظة وقوع زلزال تركيا وسوريا قبل 7 أشهر.هل يوجد لدى أحد تفسير؟ pic.twitter.com/q845XXSlYu
— إياد الحمود (@Eyaaaad) September 9, 2023
هنا مقطع لحظة وقوع زلزال تركيا قبل 7 أشهر وتبدو ومضات الضوء الزرقاء ساطعة وواضحة في الأفق.pic.twitter.com/gX0Dsbhms1
— إياد الحمود (@Eyaaaad) September 9, 2023
Nevertheless, it is noteworthy that these flashes are not unprecedented, as they were documented by other security cameras before the devastating earthquake in Turkey earlier this year, claiming the lives of 45,000 individuals.
One hypothesis posits that these flashes manifest in response to tectonic pressure, seismic activity in the vicinity, or even volcanic eruptions. However, the exact cause of this peculiar occurrence remains unconfirmed.
Interestingly, earthquake lights have been reported for millennia, and with the advent of modern technology, more insights have been gained into this phenomenon. These luminous atmospheric events are associated with seismic activity or celestial occurrences. They do not manifest at all times but appear in proximity to the time and epicenter of an earthquake, where tectonic pressure is at its peak.
The first recorded instance of earthquake lights on camera dates back to 1965 during a Japanese earthquake. Subsequently, similar phenomena have been observed in China in 2008, Italy in 2009, and Mexico in 2017.