Moroccans are in mourning following a catastrophic earthquake that has claimed the lives of more than 2,000 people.
The disaster has left over 2,059 individuals injured, many in critical condition, according to the most recent official reports.
This earthquake, which registered a magnitude of 6.8, is the most powerful ever recorded in the country. Its epicenter was situated 72 kilometers southwest of Marrakesh, a popular tourist destination, and it wreaked havoc on remote villages, reducing them to rubble.
The World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that over 300,000 people have been affected in Marrakech and its surrounding areas. The quake’s impact has been devastating, with countless families losing their homes and loved ones.
One resident, Lahcen, from the mountain village of Moulay Brahim, expressed the profound loss he and his family have endured. His wife and four children perished in the disaster.
Although rescue teams were able to recover the bodies of his three daughters from the rubble of their home, they have yet to locate his wife and son.
Lahcen, overwhelmed with grief, told the foreign media that , “I can’t do anything about it now; I just want to get away from the world and mourn.”
Efforts are underway to reach remote mountain villages where there are fears that more victims remain trapped.
In the village of Amizmiz, near the earthquake’s epicenter, rescue workers are tirelessly sifting through debris by hand. Streets are blocked by fallen masonry, and outside a local hospital, grieving relatives gather near approximately 10 covered bodies.
One survivor, Mohamed Azaw, shared his harrowing experience, recounting, “When I felt the earth shaking beneath my feet and the house leaning, I rushed to get my kids out. But my neighbors couldn’t. Unfortunately, no one was found alive in that family. The father and son were found dead, and they are still looking for the mother and the daughter.”
Rescuers in Amizmiz are facing numerous challenges, including navigating through pancaked buildings with bits of carpet and furniture protruding from the rubble. Additionally, a vital road from Amizmiz to a nearby village is blocked by fallen boulders.
Al-Haouz province, where the earthquake’s epicenter was located, has suffered the highest number of casualties, with 1,293 reported deaths. Taroudant province follows with 452 reported deaths. The destruction has been extensive, with nearly all the houses in the affected areas bearing the brunt of this devastating earthquake.
