Morocco earthquake: British tourists reported missing found after on streets

11 September 2023 , 09:08

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Rebecca Calvert has now been found safe

Two British tourists who were reported missing after the devastating earthquake in Morocco that killed over 2,000 people have been found sleeping on the streets.

Rebecca Calvert, 63, and friend Hilary Mckegney, 64, had just arrived in the remote village of Imlil in the Atlas Mountains to go hiking trip when the catastrophic 7.2 earthquake struck. Neither of them had been in contact with family and friends who feared the worst, putting out pleas on social media.

Yesterday, Rebecca finally managed to make contact with her worried husband after the pair travelled back down the mountain towards Marrakech. Will Calvert, 66, told the PA news agency his wife was incredibly fortunate to be safe as she was staying within 20 miles of the epicentre of the earthquake. He said the Foreign Office told them the village his wife was in was relatively unscathed, which gave them hope.

Will Calvert, 66, from Windsor, Berkshire (PA)

He said: "It sounded hopeful. We finally heard from my wife and her friend [on Sunday]. They slept with the locals in the streets for two days. There will be many in a much less fortunate position. There is no doubt she was hugely fortunate to be that close to the epicentre and the building held. One thing that was clear from talking to the MP was that there were a fair few British nationals in that area. So there is bound to be someone in a less fortunate position."

Windsor and Eton FC, where Mr Calvert is also listed as a director, posted an update on its Facebook page, saying: "Many of you may be aware that Willy Calvert's wife Rebecca and her friend were caught up very near the Morocco earthquake disaster. We are so so pleased to let you all know that they are both safe and well."

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Hilary Mckegney, 64

Of the 2,122 deaths reported as of Sunday evening, 1,351 were in Al Haouz, a region with a population of more than 570,00, according to Morocco’s 2014 census. The earthquake shook most of Morocco and caused injury and death in other provinces, including Marrakech, Taroudant and Chichaoua. Friday’s earthquake was the country's strongest in over a century, but, though such powerful tremors are rare, it isn’t the country’s deadliest.

Just over 60 years ago, the country was rocked by a magnitude 5.8 quake that killed over 12,000 people on its western coast, where the city of Agadir, southwest of Marrakech, crumbled. There had not been any earthquakes stronger than magnitude 6.0 within 310 miles of Friday's tremor in at least a century, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Northern Morocco experiences earthquakes more often, including tremors of magnitude 6.4 in 2004 and magnitude 6.3 in 2016.

Rachel Hagan