After the earthquake in Morocco on Friday, officers continue to carry out search and rescue efforts with their bare hands. After the earthquake that occurred in Morocco on Friday, officials continue to carry out search and rescue efforts with their bare hands. The official death toll so far in the deadliest earthquake seen in the country in the last 60 years is 2,681.
As rescue workers are stretched to the point of exhaustion, the Moroccan government is under pressure to accept more international aid. So far, Morocco has accepted aid from only four countries, Spain, the United Kingdom, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
Authorities defended their decision by saying that the sudden arrival of teams from all over the world to Morocco would create chaos.nThe 6.8 magnitude earthquake hit the Atlas Mountains south of Marrakech and destroyed many villages in remote locations.
Almost half of the people living in the village of Tafeghaghte, with a population of 200, died and many people are still missing. Heavy construction machines have difficulty overcoming roads blocked by large rocks falling on the roads during the earthquake. Helicopters also make many flights to deliver aid to mountainous regions.
Albert Vazquez, spokesman for the 30-person Spanish Fire Brigade group, said in a statement to AFP News Agency that “after three days, it is very difficult to get out of the rubble alive, but they are still hopeful.” 26-year-old Said, who lives in the village of Moulay Brahim, told the BBC that he saw his neighbors’ house destroyed.
“A family of six lived there. “The father was outside during the earthquake and survived, but his wife and four children were at home and died.”
“Their daughters were 15, 8 and 5 years old. Their last child was a boy and was about to turn three.”
Said said that he could not sleep or eat since Friday night and said, “The situation is terrible. “I don’t know how to get out of this situation,” he said. Tom Godfrey, from the British rescue team EMT, also said that the earthquake hit the southwestern regions hard and that urgent humanitarian aid should be sent there.
Call To Accept Foreign Aid
The World Health Organization reported that more than 300 thousand people were affected by the earthquake. Between 12 and 15 thousand people died in the earthquake in Agadir, Morocco, in 1960.
While the Tinmel Mosque, one of the historical monuments in the mountainous region, was severely damaged, there was also destruction in the historical old city section of Marrakech. Pressure is also growing on the Moroccan government to accept offers of aid from various countries. Among the countries offering aid are the USA, Tunisia, Turkey, Taiwan and France.
Neighboring Algeria, which has long had bad relations with Morocco, also offered rescue workers, medical staff, search and rescue dogs, beds, tents and blankets. But the Moroccan government says they do not want to create a situation of chaos where dozens of countries and aid organizations arrive at once.
