People in Morocco had a terrifying night outside in the High Atlas Mountains after the country’s most powerful earthquake in more than 60 years struck, killing more than 2,000 people and causing extensive damage to villages.
Neighbors are still looking for survivors trapped in the hills.
The earthquake, which occurred late on Friday, caused houses made of mud, stone, and rough wood to crack open and mosque towers to collapse. The historic city of Marrakech also suffered significant damage.
According to the Interior Ministry, 2,012 people lost their lives, with 2,059 injured, including 1,404 in critical condition.
The U.S. Geological Survey reported that the earthquake had a magnitude of 6.8 and originated about 45 miles southwest of Marrakech.
In Amizmiz village, near the epicenter, rescue workers were searching through rubble with their hands.
Fallen debris blocked narrow streets, and outside a hospital, around 10 bodies were covered in blankets while grieving family members stood nearby.
One resident, Mohamed Azaw, recounted the terrifying moment when the earth shook, and his house started to tilt.
He managed to get his children to safety, but sadly, his neighbors were not as fortunate.
They couldn’t escape in time, and the father and son in that family lost their lives. The search continued for the mother and daughter.
Rescue teams in Amizmiz had to navigate through the collapsed floors of buildings, with pieces of carpet and furniture jutting out from the debris.
A long line formed outside the only open shop as people sought supplies.
The road from Amizmiz to a nearby village was blocked by fallen boulders, making rescue efforts even more challenging.
Nearly all the homes in the Asni area, about 25 miles south of Marrakech, sustained damage.
Villagers were preparing to spend the night outdoors because their roofs had collapsed. Food was in short supply as kitchens were destroyed.
Residents of Asni, like Montasir Itri, were desperately searching for survivors.
He mentioned that their neighbors were trapped under rubble, and the village was rallying to rescue them with whatever means they had available.
Tansghart village in the Ansi area, located on the side of a valley on the road from Marrakech into the High Atlas Mountains, suffered the most significant damage witnessed by Reuters.
The charming houses clinging to the steep hillside were cracked open, and those still standing had parts of their walls and plaster missing.
Two mosque minarets had fallen.
Abdellatif Ait Bella, a laborer, lay injured on the ground, barely able to move or speak, with a bandage on his head from falling debris.
His wife, Saida Bodchich, worried about their family of six, as he was their sole breadwinner, and they had no home left and no food since the previous day.
The village was already mourning ten deaths, including two teenage girls.
The earthquake’s tremors were felt as far away as southern Spain in Huelva and Jaen.
The World Health Organization reported that over 300,000 people were affected in Marrakech and its surroundings.
Video footage from street cameras in Marrakech captured the moment the earthquake struck, causing panic as people looked around, ran for cover, and dodged falling dust and debris.
In the heart of the old city of Marrakech, a UNESCO World Heritage site, a mosque minaret in Jemaa al-Fna Square had collapsed.
Some houses in the densely packed old city had also crumbled, and residents were clearing debris with their hands while waiting for heavy equipment.
Morocco declared a three-day national mourning period, during which the national flag would be flown at half-staff across the country.
The Moroccan armed forces pledged to send rescue teams with clean drinking water, food supplies, tents, and blankets to the affected areas.
Several countries, including Turkey, which had experienced devastating earthquakes earlier in the year, expressed solidarity and offered assistance.
Algeria, despite its previous tensions with Morocco, opened its airspace for humanitarian and medical flights.
The earthquake had a depth of 18.5 km, making it more destructive than deeper quakes of the same magnitude.
It was Morocco’s deadliest earthquake since 1960 when an estimated 12,000 people lost their lives.
Mohammad Kashani, an earthquake engineering expert, likened the scenes of destruction to those seen in Turkey earlier that year.
The affected area had many old and historical buildings, most of which were made of masonry.
The collapsed concrete structures were either old or poorly built.
Marrakech was set to host the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank in October.
However, the IMF stated that their current focus was solely on helping the people of Morocco and the authorities dealing with the disaster.
