10 September 2023 , 07:46
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More than 2,000 people have died so far after a rare and strong earthquake struck Morocco, close to the popular tourist city of Marrakech on Friday night. The search for survivors is continuing amid fears the death toll could rise substantially.
The quake was the strongest to hit the nation’s centre in more than a century and many people are feared to still be trapped under the rubble deep in the Atlas Mountains. Tremors were felt as far away as Portugal and Spain as holidaymakers in the North African country recall waking up to trembling rooms and screams. At least 2,012 people died in the 7.2 magnitude quake, Morocco’s Interior Ministry reported Saturday night. At least 2,059 more people were injured — 1,404 critically — the ministry said. Plus many people, including Brits, are still unaccounted for.
A Moroccan-based British journalist told the Mirror yesterday that he was woken by his wife's piercing scream and in minutes many of their walls had pancaked to the ground. He likened the chaos to a warzone. "I've been in six or seven war zones as a journalist and so the only thing I can liken it to — the noise, the confusion and the sheer terror of being in a situation where you feel so vulnerable — is a war zone", said Martin Jay.
Residents flee their homes after an earthquake in Moulay Brahim village, near the epicentre of the earthquake (AP)When and where did the quake hit?
The earthquake struck at around 11:11 p.m. local time, with its epicentre located near Oukaïmedene in the High Atlas mountains, around 44.7 miles southwest of Marrakech. Its impact was felt as far north as Casablanca and as south as Tiznit on the southern coast.
Deaths have been confirmed in the provinces and municipalities of Marrakech, al-Haouz, Ouarzazate, Azilal, Chichaoua and Taroudant. The devastation gripped each town along the High Atlas’ steep and winding roads, a rural area with many mud-brick houses that were not built to resist earthquakes. Helmet-clad police were pictured carrying the dead through the streets and whole communities became covered in rubble.
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Remote villages like those in the drought-stricken Ouargane Valley were largely cut off from the world when they lost electricity and cellphone service. Hamid Idsalah, a 72-year-old mountain guide, said he and many others remained alive but had little future to look forward to. He told AP: "I can’t reconstruct my home. I don’t know what I’ll do. Still, I’m alive, so I’ll wait. I feel heartsick." Martin, who lives in Amizmiz in the mountains, told the Mirror: "The story is here, in days to come we will see hundreds if not thousands of people dead in tiny little very humble, modest mud huts."
A shakemap shows the location of the earthquake (USGS HANDOUT/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)In historic Marrakech, the city’s famous Koutoubia Mosque, built in the 12th century, was damaged. Its 226-foot minaret is known as the "roof of Marrakech." People also posted videos showing damage to parts of the famous red walls that surround the old city which is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
How powerful was the earthquake?
Moroccan media reported it was the most powerful earthquake to hit the country to date, however, there is a slight discrepancy with its reported size. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) put the quake’s magnitude at 6.8, while Morocco's geophysical centre said the quake had a magnitude of 7.2.
Either way, the worst quake in Morocco’s recent history was a 5.8-magnitude earthquake that killed about 12,000 people and injured another 12,000 in March 1960. A 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck northern Morocco in February 2004, killing about 630 people.
Are Brits caught up in the disaster?
Yes, many Britons have been caught up in the horrific natural disaster as Morocco is a popular tourist destination. An estimated 5,000 to 8,000 UK holidaymakers are believed to be staying in Marrakech. While no Brits have been confirmed among the dead, concerns are now growing over many unaccounted for.
Medical emergency teams treat the injured at the field hospital (Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)Rebecca Calvert, 65, and friend Hilary Mckegney, 64, have not been in contact with loved ones since the quake hit. Rebecca’s daughter Katie, 27, has called on the Foreign Office to send in rescue teams to help find them. She said: "We are sick with worry. They were staying in a small village called Imlil in the Atlas mountains. We last heard from them at 9.30 pm on Friday. We’re desperate for help."
Beverley Veerasawmy, from Kent, was getting ready for bed at her hotel in Agadir, some 160 miles from Marrakech on the coast, when she felt shakes. Despite there being no visible devastation, Beverley said the atmosphere in the beach hotel is very sombre. She told the Mirror: "Normally at this time of the day, we're fighting for sun beds. But there's not many people down there at all. Hundreds of people have died and it feels a bit bad taste to be enjoying our holiday down the road."
The Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said it had received a small number of requests for help from British nationals in Morocco following the earthquake.
People comfort each other while digging graves for victims of the earthquake (AP)What’s happening on the ground?
Emergency workers have been deployed to all the affected regions, despite some roads being completely blocked by felled debris. In a sign of the huge scale of the disaster, Morocco’s King Mohammed VI ordered the armed forces to mobilise specialized search and rescue teams and a surgical field hospital, according to a statement from the military.
Morocco is now in a three-day national mourning period with flags at half-staff on all public facilities, the official news agency MAP reported. The King said he would visit the hardest hit areas today, but despite an outpouring of offers of help from around the world, the Moroccan government had not formally asked for assistance, a step required before outside rescue crews could deploy.
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Police, emergency vehicles and people fleeing in shared taxis spent hours traversing unpaved roads through the High Atlas in stop-and-go traffic, often exiting their cars to help clear giant boulders from routes known to be rugged and difficult long before Friday’s earthquake. In Ijjoukak, a village in the area surrounding Toubkal, North Africa’s tallest peak, residents estimated nearly 200 buildings had been levelled.
World leaders offered to send in aid or rescue crews as condolences poured in from countries in Europe, the Middle East and the Group of 20 summit in India. In a rare move, neighbouring rival Algeria offered to open its airspace to allow eventual humanitarian aid or medical evacuation flights to travel to and from Morocco. Algeria closed the airspace when its government severed diplomatic ties with Morocco in 2021 over a series of issues. The countries have a decadeslong dispute involving the territory of Western Sahara.