2023-09-10 15:36:14
So far they have only accepted help from Spain, which has already sent several rescuers.
A magnitude 3.9 followingshock startled Moroccans on Sunday as they prayed for the victims of the country’s strongest earthquake in more than a century.
While soldiers and aid workers brought water and supplies to ruined mountain villages. More than 2,000 people had died, a figure that was expected to continue rising.
The UN estimated that more than 300,000 people had been affected by the disaster in and around Marrakech and some Moroccans complained on social media that the government was not allowing more international aid.
International teams were ready to deploy, but they were still waiting for the government to request their assistance.
“We know that there is a great urgency to save people and search under the remains of buildings,” said Arnaud Fraisse, director of rescuers Without Borders, who had a team blocked at the Paris airport on Sunday waiting to receive permission from Morocco. to enter the country.
“There are people dying under the rubble and we can’t do anything to save them,” he added.
Those left homeless or afraid of followingshocks following Friday night’s quake slept rough on Saturday in the streets of the ancient city of Marrakech or under makeshift tents in towns in the Atlas Mountains such as Moulay Brahim, a of the most affected.
The greatest damage occurred in small rural communities that were difficult for rescuers to reach due to the steep terrain.
Those same areas were shaken once more on Sunday by a 3.9 magnitude earthquake, according to the United States Geological Survey.
It was not initially clear whether the tremor had caused more damage or casualties, although it was likely strong enough to strain nerves in areas where the quake left buildings unstable and people spoke of their fear of followingshocks.
Friday’s tremor toppled buildings in mountain towns and cities that were not built to withstand such a powerful quake.
Some 2,012 people had been confirmed dead and at least 2,059 injured, of which 1,404 were critical, according to the Moroccan Ministry of the Interior reported on Saturday night.
“We felt a strong tremor as if it were the end of the world,” said Ayoub Toudite, a resident of Moulay Brahim. “Ten seconds, and everything had fallen apart.”
royal decision
Flags flew at half-mast in Morocco following the king, Mohammed VI, ordered three days of national mourning starting Sunday.
The army mobilized specialized search and rescue teams and the king ordered that water, food rations and shelter be provided to those who had lost their homes.
The king called for mosques across the kingdom to hold prayers on Sunday for the victims, many of whom were buried on Saturday as frantic rescue efforts continued.
Offers of help have come from around the world and the United Nations said it had a team in Morocco coordinating with local authorities to determine how they might provide support.
Some 100 teams, with a total of 3,500 rescuers from around the world, had registered on a UN platform and were ready to deploy to Morocco, waiting to receive the green light from Moroccan authorities, according to Rescuers Without Borders.
In a sign that Morocco may be willing to accept outside help, the Spanish military said it had sent an Air Force plane with an urban search and rescue team to Marrakech with 56 soldiers and 4 dogs to help.
Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said in a radio interview that the deployment responded to a bilateral request for help from Moroccan authorities.
There was another rescue team on the way from Nice, France.
In France, where many people with ties to Morocco live, towns small and large offered more than 2 million euros ($2.1 million) in aid and popular artists collected donations.
The king of Morocco ordered that special bank accounts be opened to receive contributions to help those in need.
The epicenter of Friday’s tremor – the strongest to hit the North African country in 120 years – was near the town of Ighil in Al Haouz, regarding 70 kilometers south of Marrakesh.
Al Haouz is known for its picturesque valleys and villages in the High Atlas mountain range.
About 45 kilometers northeast of the epicenter, fallen walls exposed the insides of damaged houses and piles of debris blocked alleys.
People in Moulay Brahim, a rural town of less than 3,000 people, lived in houses made of bricks and concrete blocks. Many of the houses were unsafe or no longer standing.
The devastation was evident in all the towns on the steep and winding slopes of the High Atlas. You might see demolished houses and people crying, while boys and policemen with helmets carried the bodies.
“I was sleeping when the earthquake hit. I mightn’t escape because the roof fell on me. She was trapped. I was saved by my neighbors, who removed the rubble with their bare hands,” said Fatna Bechar, in Moulay Brahim.
“Now I live with them in their house because mine was completely destroyed,” he added.
Hamid Idsalah, a 72-year-old mountain guide, said he and many others were still alive but had a bleak future because they lacked the financial means to recover.
Some shopkeepers in Marrakech returned to work on Sunday morning following the king urged people to resume economic activity and ordered preparations to begin rebuilding destroyed buildings.
For much of Saturday in historic Marakech, state television showed crowds of people in the street who feared returning to buildings that might be unstable.
The city’s famous Koutoubia Mosque, built in the 12th century, suffered damage, although the extent of it is currently unknown.
Moroccans posted videos online showing damaged parts of the famous red wall that surrounds the medina, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
The breakdown of victims
The powerful 6.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Morocco on Friday night was the deadliest and strongest to hit the country in decades.
The death toll has exceeded 2,000, according to figures published by the Ministry of the Interior, which also reported at least 1,404 people in critical condition.
Here’s a breakdown of the numbers so far:
1,293 dead in Al Haouz
452 dead in Taroudant
191 dead in Chichaoua
41 dead in Ouarzazate
15 dead in Marrakech
11 dead in Azilal
5 dead in Agadir
3 dead province of Casablanca
1 dead Youssoufia province
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