13 Sep Morocco Earthquake nears 3,000 lives lost

Cars were buried under rubble, buildings in states of disrepair, and over 2,800 lives were lost with the number continuing to rise.

Residents rushed into the streets to avoid collapsing rooftops when an earthquake of magnitude 6.8 struck central Morocco. “Violent” tremors tore through Casablanca to Marrakesh, where many buildings fell down, trapping individuals and claiming lives in the process.

Rescue teams from countries around the world, including Spain and the Middle East, have come together to clear cities, helped trapped individuals and evacuated the injured. The Red Cross has asked for more than 110 million Swiss francs, to deliver the resources necessary to help those displaced by the earthquakes – including water, beds, shelter and more.

The country’s royal palace has declared three days of national mourning, however the death toll is yet to be finalized, with many expected to be trapped in the hard-to-reach mountain areas around Morocco.

The epicentre was in the High Atlas Mountains, 71km south-west of Marrakesh.

Resident Rashid Ben Arabi described the scene upon arriving in Marakesh minutes after the earthquake struck:

“As soon as I entered my town, I saw people in a hysterical state, crying and screaming […] I saw a man lying on the ground by the rubble of his house; he could hear the screams of his two children trapped under the destroyed building, but he couldn’t do anything to help them; rescue teams hadn’t yet arrived at the scene.”

Assist those on scene by donating to the Red Cross today: https://www.redcross.org.uk/