Rabat [Morocco], September 12: The death toll in Morocco's strongest earthquake in 100 years has risen to about 2,500 and is likely to rise even higher.
Reuters reported that while more than 2,400 people are still missing , aid workers still cannot reach the High Atlas Mountains, where rugged terrain has hindered the search for victims.
In Marrakech, the big city closest to the epicenter , people had to sleep outdoors because they did not dare go home. Quake survivors are struggling to find food, water and medicine. In Moulay Brahim, a village 40 kilometers south of Marrakech, people had to dig through rocks by hand to remove the dead from the rubble. Both military and civilian forces were deployed to minimize damage. King Mohammed VI declared three days of national mourning to commemorate the victims.
The World Health Organization (WHO) said more than 300,000 people were affected by the disaster. In a difficult situation, Morocco accepts offers of assistance from other countries and will help in coordination if needed. In the immediate future, Spain and Qatar sent officers and sniffer dogs to Morocco, while a group of American experts went to the scene to assess the situation. Türkiye, where an earthquake in February killed more than 50,000 people, also offered support to the North African country.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper