55 Views
Ph:DR: Earthquake in Morocco / Death toll rises: Around 3,000 dead and 5,500 injured
The death toll from Friday evening’s earthquake now exceeds 2,900 dead and 5,500 injured. Emergency services are still active on the ground, particularly in the most remote areas where aid arrived late.
But in recent hours, all eyes have been on King Mohammed VI. He was in France during the earthquake, returned to Morocco on Saturday and had not made a public appearance. Only a few images of a work meeting had been broadcast on television. The king was therefore eagerly awaited and it was finally this Tuesday afternoon that he went to the Marrakech University Hospital.
Three days after the earthquake, the race against time to find survivors: despite the pain and sadness, the mobilization is strong to help the victims. And this momentum is national, on the RN7 which provides access to the High Atlas Mountains, citizens did not hesitate for a second to come and help the victims of the earthquake.
Ph;DR: Survivors sleeping under the stars
« Survival is still possible at this stage”
Ultrasounds, dogs, drones, international rescuers have arrived equipped in the Moroccan mountains. And upon their arrival, the teams immediately got to work. Gathered at the entrance ofWe are hungry, British, Qataris, Emiratis and Spaniards immediately went into the field in search of survivors. “ Survival is still possible at this point. We have hope. We are not looking for bodies but only living victims “, says Roz Gourdon, the head of the English rescuers.
Damage from the deadly earthquake
The extent of the destruction according to the images coming from the Pléiades Néo satellite constellation, from the European Airbus, gives an idea of the situation: Certain villages have been wiped off the map, entire neighborhoods have disappeared, burying the inhabitants surprised by shaking.
From the epicenter, the shock wave spread, hitting brick and earth buildings head-on. Morocco, a country with significant relief, is characterized by regular and often violent seismic activity. The earthquake of September 8, southwest of Marrakech, was the deadliest in the country since the one that destroyed the coastal city of Agadir on February 29, 1960, causing nearly 15,000 deaths.
However, rescuers are still working to find possible survivors. The latest report communicated on September 11, 2023 by the Moroccan Ministry of the Interior shows 2,862 dead and 2,562 injured. The earthquake, which occurred on the night of September 8 to 9, devastated entire villages southwest of Marrakech, in the High Atlas mountains.
