ISLAMABAD: Morocco experienced its deadliest earthquake in over six decades, leaving survivors in a frantic search for food, water, and shelter on sunday while efforts to locate missing victims persisted.
Rescue teams are actively searching for missing victims in remote settlements, and there are concerns that the death toll, which has already exceeded 2,100, will continue to rise in the coming days.
A catastrophic earthquake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale struck late on Friday, leading to the collapse of settlements due to a powerful upward explosion. Many people are currently spending their third night outdoors.
Relief personnel are facing significant challenges in reaching the worst-affected villages in the High Atlas, a rugged mountainous terrain where populations are sometimes inaccessible, and numerous homes have collapsed, as reported by Reuters.
As the death toll has now reached 2,122, with 2,421 people injured, relief efforts are actively dispatching aid to provide assistance to the affected residents of Morocco. The country has expressed its willingness to accept relief offers from other nations. The country is also ready to coordinate these efforts if necessary.
Several countries, including Turkey, Kuwait, Oman, the United States, Spain, the United Kingdom, and others, have sent aid to support Morocco during this challenging period.
Morocco’s Earthquake Tragedy: Cultural Loss and Heartfelt Rescues
Tragically, the earthquake spared no iconic cultural heritage sites in the country. Moroccan media reported the collapse of a major mosque dating back to the 12th century. Additionally, the earthquake destroyed a portion of Marrakech’s Old City, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Residents of Moulay Brahim, a community located 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Marrakech, vividly recall the heart-wrenching experience of rescuing the deceased from the debris with their own hands.
In the aftermath of the earthquake, a somber scene unfolded on a hillside overlooking the village, where residents solemnly buried a 45-year-old woman and her 18-year-old son, both victims of the disaster. Nearby, a woman sobbed loudly in grief as they lowered the bodies into the grave.
Meanwhile, Hussein Adnaie, who was salvaging belongings from his damaged home, expressed his belief that people might still be trapped in the nearby rubble.
