RABAT: Moroccan rescuers, supported by the arrival of foreign teams, are engaged in an increasingly urgent race against time to unearth any survivors from the debris of mountain villages, now on the third day since the country endured its most powerful earthquake on record.
The 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck the Atlas Mountains late Friday, southwest of the renowned tourist destination of Marrakesh. The latest official tally reports nearly 2,500 lives lost and a similar number of people injured due to the catastrophic quake.
In the quake-stricken community of Talat Nyacoub, around 100 Moroccan rescuers, supported by 12 ambulances and several dozen 4X4 vehicles from the army and police, continue their painstaking search for signs of life amid the ruins of collapsed buildings. Nearby, a Spanish team consisting of 30 firefighters, a doctor, a nurse, and two technicians have begun coordinating with Moroccan authorities, poised to dig for survivors.
Annika Coll, who heads the Spanish team, acknowledged the immense challenges posed by remote and difficult-to-access areas. She stated, “The big difficulty is in zones remote and difficult to access, like here, but the injured are choppered out.” A helicopter flew overhead as they worked tirelessly.
Search and rescue teams employ various tools, including trained dogs and microcameras capable of being inserted into the rubble to detect any signs of life.
Despite these efforts, some have not received help in time. Lahcen and Habiba Barouj recounted their struggle to rescue their father from the wreckage themselves after witnessing no rescuers in sight. Their house was devoured by the disaster. Tragically, they had laid their mother to rest the previous evening, following her tragic death in the earthquake.
Morocco’s government announced on Sunday that it had accepted offers from the United Kingdom, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and Spain to dispatch search and rescue teams to assist with the crisis.
Rescue Operation in Morocco With Hope for Life
The devastating earthquake has obliterated entire villages in the Atlas Mountains, where rescuers from both civilian and military forces have worked tirelessly to find survivors and recover the deceased. Many of the affected houses in these remote mountain communities were constructed from mud bricks.
As foreign teams begin to arrive, Moroccan authorities are establishing emergency shelters, with bright yellow tents dotting the landscape in devastated areas. The village of Tikht, once home to numerous families, has been reduced to rubble and debris, prompting locals to mourn the loss of their community.
Volunteers and citizens have mobilized to provide assistance, including blood donations for the injured and the organization of food and essential goods for the quake victims. Concerns have been raised about the speed of the government’s response to the disaster, prompting volunteers like Mohamed Belkaid to emphasize the need for collective action, including government involvement.
The earthquake is the deadliest in Morocco since the 1960 Agadir earthquake, which claimed the lives of 12,000 to 15,000 people. As the recovery efforts continue, the world watches in solidarity with Morocco during this challenging time.
