September 12, 2023 – 07:28
As the rubble of the earthquake that struck Morocco on Friday was cleared, more and more of the disaster began to come to light. Entire villages were destroyed in Al Haouz Governorate, while the earthquake reportedly claimed the lives of at least 2,800 people. guardian.
In the village of Truist, located at the foot of the Atlas Mountains, above the town of Amizmiz, not one of the ten houses remains standing. Only the village mosque collapsed. On Monday evening, the first international search and rescue teams left for the worst-hit areas, but it quickly became clear that they could hardly find anyone alive under the rubble.
In the Tafaght settlement, according to residents, 90 people died, and the total population of the village was 400 before the earthquake.
Villagers feel abandoned: In Taroist, people said they had to carry the bodies of six of their neighbors down the mountain where private cars were waiting because ambulances or other government aid had not yet arrived. In the village, as in many other mountain settlements, people spend their nights under the open sky. There are two reasons for this: many people’s homes have become uninhabitable, while others fear an aftershock.
The Moroccan Interior Minister announced on Sunday that he would accept the foreign aid offered, which was among the first provided by neighboring Spain, as well as Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and Great Britain. written by CNN. The donation means rescue teams, search dogs, medical equipment, as well as tents and blankets. France is also ready to help, but according to the French President, it is necessary for Morocco to indicate its need, which has not yet happened, based on the words of Emmanuel Macron, on the part of the once partly French colony, which has been independent since 1956.
Turkey also provided assistance, after it was hit by one of the largest earthquakes in its history last February. written by BBC. The natural disaster claimed the lives of 50,000 people there.