6.8

• Prize
  Silver in Editorial/General News
• Photographer
  Alejandro Martinez Velez
• Agency / Studio
  Freelance For Anadolu Agency
• Technical Info
  Canon Eos R6, Sigma 35mm 1.4 Art, Sigma 50mm 1.4 Art, Canon Ef 70-200 F4 L
• Photo Date
  2023

On Friday, September 8th, at 11:11 PM local time, a strong earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale struck Morocco. The epicenter of this devastating seismic event was located in Ighil, in the heart of the Moroccan Atlas, approximately 72 Km southwest of Marrakech. The latest official figures, according to the Moroccan Ministry of Interior, confirm the magnitude of the tragedy: 2,946 people lost their lives, and more than 5,400 have been injured. The most affected communities were small villages and rural areas, where the earthquake caused the highest number of casualties and damage.

Alejandro Martinez Velez, 1991, is a freelance photojournalist for Anadolu Agency and Europa Press Agency, currently based in Madrid, Spain. He began his photography training at Lens School of Visual Arts, combining it with his university studies in Political Sciences (Complutense Univesity of Madrid). His work focuses especially on social conflicts, human rights or political issues. He is currently documenting the exodus of hundreds of thousands of people to Europe. His pictures have been exhibited in different cities like Madrid, Moscow, Istanbul, New York, Shanghai, Warsaw or Milan