AMIZMIZ (Morocco): At least 2,122 people have been killed and 2,421 injured since a massive 7-magnitude earthquake struck central Morocco on Friday night, according to the latest update from the Moroccan Interior Ministry on Sunday, reported Xinhua.
The deaths include 1,351 people reported in the Al Haouz Province, 492 in Taroudant Province, 201 in Chichaoua, and 17 in Marrakesh, added the ministry in a press release.
Moroccan troops and emergency services were reportedly struggling to reach the most affected areas in the Atlas Mountains region, as roads leading up there were blocked by fallen boulders, according to local media.
Earlier in the day, Marrakesh’s residents told Xinhua reporters that aftershocks could still be felt.
According to the World Health Organisation estimates, the disaster has affected more than 300,000 people in the ancient old city and its outskirts.
The number of casualties is expected to rise. The Moroccan Red Crescent (MRC) has said the situation on the ground posed a vast challenge to search and rescue efforts, and “getting heavy machinery into those remote areas of the Atlas Mountains to help with that is a priority.”
As more people were being pulled out of the rubble, the MRC and other first responders were working around the clock to identify and prioritise the most severe cases, the MRC said in a statement.
The earthquake hit Morocco Friday at 11.11 pm local time (2211 GMT) at a depth of 18.5 km, according to the United States Geological Survey.
Morocco accepts assistance
Meanwhile, Morocco has accepted offers of assistance from Spain, the UK, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.
In a written statement Sunday, Morocco’s Interior Ministry said the country has accepted offers from the four nations to dispatch search and rescue teams.
The authorities carefully assessed the necessary requirements, considering the potential consequences of coordination deficiencies in such situations following the earthquake, Anadolu Agency reported the statement said.
The statement said the search and rescue teams entered the country on Sunday to work in coordination with Moroccan teams, and it was emphasised that offers of support from other friendly countries could be accepted based on potential needs in the field.
It also expressed Morocco’s gratitude for the initiatives extended by various countries.
The quake was the strongest to hit the North African country in the last century, according to Morocco’s National Geophysical Institute. – BERNAMA-XINHUA-ANADOLU AGENCY
