Marrakesh:
Rescue workers searched Sunday for survivors of Morocco’s deadliest earthquake in more than six decades, killing more than 2,000 people in the disaster that devastated villages in the mountains outside Marrakesh.
Many people spent the second night in the open after the 6.8 magnitude earthquake that struck late Friday night. Relief workers face the challenge of reaching the worst-hit villages in the High Atlas, a rugged mountain range where settlements are often far apart and where many homes have collapsed.
Large chunks of rock broke off and fell onto the road near the small town of Moulay Brahim, partially blocking the winding road linking Marrakech to the Atlas Mountains.
According to the latest figures from the Interior Ministry, the death toll is 2,012, while 2,059 people are injured, of which 1,404 are in critical condition.
Morocco has declared three days of mourning and King Mohammed VI has called for prayers for the dead in mosques across the country on Sunday.
The World Health Organization said more than 300,000 people have been affected by the disaster.
“The next 24 to 48 hours will be critical in terms of saving lives,” Caroline Holt, global director of operations for the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, said in a statement.
Noting the importance of providing safe drinking water, he said priority would be given to search and rescue efforts along with ensuring care for survivors.
Of several visited by Reuters journalists on Saturday, the village of Tansaghart in the Ansy region on the edge of the valley, where the road from Marrakesh leads into the High Atlas, was the worst affected.
Its picturesque houses, nestled against a steep hill, were torn apart by the shifting ground. Those still standing were missing pieces of wall or plaster. Two minarets of the mosque fell.
Abdellatif Ait Bella, a labourer, lay on the ground, barely able to move or speak, his head bandaged from wounds caused by falling debris.
“We don’t have any home to take them to and we don’t even have food since yesterday,” said his wife Saeeda Bodchich. He fears for the future of his family of six, as their sole breadwinner is badly hurt. “We can trust no one but God.”
A resident said the village was already mourning the death of 10 people, including two teenage girls.
survivors being pulled from the rubble
There was hope that more survivors might be found.
Footage captured Saturday in the town of Moulay Brahim, about 50 km (30 miles) south of Marrakech, showed rescue workers pulling someone from the debris. Two rescue workers hugged each other as the man was taken away on a stretcher.
The epicenter was about 72 km (45 miles) southwest of Marrakech, a city beloved by Moroccans and foreign tourists for its medieval mosques, palaces and madrassas amid a maze of pink-colored streets with vivid mosaics. Furnished with tiling.
The old quarter of Marrakech suffered extensive damage. Families spent a second night on the streets on Sunday morning, fearing their homes were no longer safe to return to.
“I can’t sleep there. I’m asking the authorities to help me and call a specialist to find out if it’s possible for me to return home,” said Mohammed Ayat Elhaj, 51, with his family. Said on the streets. old City. He said, “If there is a risk, I will not return home.”
According to the US Geological Survey, it was Morocco’s deadliest earthquake since 1960, when the earthquake was estimated to have killed at least 12,000 people.
Turkey, where a powerful earthquake in February killed more than 50,000 people, was among the countries to express solidarity and offer aid.
Marrakesh is scheduled to host the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank from October 9.
Asked about the planned meetings, an IMF spokesperson said: “Our sole focus at this time is the Moroccan people and authorities who are dealing with this tragedy.”
