2023-09-11 05:12:00
A man points to the remains of a house that was destroyed by the earthquake in Moulay Brahim, Morocco. Credit: Carl Court/Getty Images
Rescuers in Morocco are struggling to find survivors of Friday’s powerful earthquake that left more than 2,000 people dead and villages near the epicenter left in ruins.
The terrified Moroccans spent a second night on the streets, too scared to return to their homes. Three days of mourning are underway following the deadliest earthquake the country has suffered in decades.
The 6.8 magnitude earthquake occurred late Friday. It was also the strongest to hit the region around the ancient city of Marrakesh in a century, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
So far, 2,012 people have been killed and another 1,404 seriously injured, according to Moroccan authorities, but the toll is expected to rise further as rescuers dig through the rubble of collapsed homes in remote areas of the High Atlas Mountains. .
Here is where the rescue efforts are:
A fight to find survivors: Efforts to help those trapped near the epicenter of Friday’s earthquake continued on Sunday, with members of the army, police and civil defense arriving overnight. Many of the villages in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains near the earthquake’s epicenter are isolated and difficult to access, making operations difficult. The magnitude of the earthquake’s impact remains to be seen, but witnesses CNN spoke to on Saturday gave some insight into the destruction. Recovery efforts have entered a “difficult” period, but there is still hope of finding survivors, a spokesperson for the United Nations Children’s Fund told CNN, noting that the first 72 hours of search and rescue are key.
UN waits while Morocco handles initial response: A UN official said the Moroccan government is “deploying its own response to the earthquake.” The UN has offered assistance in search and rescue, and in humanitarian or medical needs, but “for now, we are waiting, ready to help according to the modality that the (Moroccan) government wishes to choose,” they said.
Funeral prayers held throughout the country: King Mohammed VI of Morocco ordered mosques across the country to hold funeral prayers, known as “Janazah” prayers, at noon (7 a.m. ET) on Sunday for those killed in the earthquake. Flags flew at half-mast in the country, the state news agency reported. On Saturday, Moroccans flocked to hospitals and centers to donate blood as part of a national appeal to help those injured in the deadly earthquake.
The World Bank offers all its support to Morocco: “Our hearts go out to the people of Morocco, who are suffering the effects of devastating earthquakes that have caused tragic loss of life, injuries and damage in areas south of Marrakesh,” the bank said in a statement on Saturday.
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