2023-09-10 08:59:05
MARRAKESH, Morocco (AP) — Morocco worked Sunday to rescue survivors and pray for victims of the country’s strongest earthquake in more than a century, as 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.
Those left homeless by Friday night’s earthquake 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, one of the most affected. The greatest damage occurred in small rural communities that were difficult for rescuers to reach due to the steep terrain.
The magnitude 6.8 tremor shook people out of bed and 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.”
Flags flew at half-mast in Morocco after 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 poured in from around the world, and the United Nations said it was coordinating with Moroccan authorities on how international partners could provide support. The king offered thanks but did not offer a clear message on whether Morocco would welcome foreign rescuers.
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, about 70 kilometers (44 miles) south of Marrakesh. Al Haouz is known for its picturesque valleys and villages in the High Atlas mountain range.
About 45 kilometers (28 miles) northeast of the epicenter, fallen walls exposed the insides of damaged homes after debris rolled down the mountain. 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 could see demolished houses and people crying, while boys and policemen with helmets carried the bodies.
“I was sleeping when the earthquake hit. I couldn’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.”
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 after 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 surrounding the UNESCO World Heritage medina.
The president of Turkey, which lost tens of thousands of people in a strong earthquake earlier this year, was among those who proposed help. Despite the flood of offers of help from around the world, the Moroccan government had not officially accepted assistance.
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Associated Press writers Angela Charlton in Paris, Ahmed Hatem in Cairo and Brian Melley and Hadia Bakkar in London contributed to this report.
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