Did a Dutch scientist predict the Morocco earthquake 10 days ago?

The controversial scientist foresaw a catastrophic earthquake between September 5 and 7.

  (photo credit: REUTERS)
(photo credit: REUTERS)

Amidst the backdrop of seismic activity worldwide, the name of Dutch seismologist Frank Hoogerbeets has once again come to the forefront. This time, his name is associated with headlines surrounding the earthquake that struck Morocco on the night of Friday to Saturday.

What did Hoogerbeetssay?

A few days ago, the scientist shared on X (formerly Twitter) account: "Today, two planetary conjunctions are occurring between Mercury and Venus, accompanied by the moons of Jupiter and Uranus. On September 6, another conjunction took place between Mercury and Venus. A significant earthquake is anticipated between September 5 and 7."

True to his prediction, an earthquake struck on September 8 at 23:11 (Morocco time).

This earthquake resulted in over 2,000 fatalities and left thousands more injured in Marrakesh and other Moroccan cities. The National Center for Research and Technical Science, located in Rabat, reported the earthquake's magnitude as reaching 7 on the Richter scale, with the epicenter situated in the Al-Khawz district. Local media deemed it the most powerful earthquake ever to hit the country.

Approximately two weeks prior, Hoogerbeets reiterated his warnings, cautioning of a potential earthquake reaching magnitude 8 on the Richter scale due to the alignment of Earth with the planets Mars and Neptune, as well as the lunar geometry involving these celestial bodies. He predicted heightened seismic activity based on tectonic stress levels.

REUTERS/Abdelhak Balhaki
REUTERS/Abdelhak Balhaki

The repeated warnings from the Dutch scientist have sparked global apprehension, especially since his predictions have proven accurate multiple times, the most significant and precise being his forecast just three days prior to the devastating earthquake in Turkey on February 6.

Hoogerbeets later denied that he predicted the earthquake, writing on X on Tuesday, "Some media seem to claim that I 'predicted' another big quake in Morocco. This claim is false."