Sat 09 September 2023:
Moroccan troops and emergency services are scrambling to reach remote mountain villages where casualties are still feared trapped.
The 6.8-magnitude quake struck late Friday in a mountainous area 72 kilometres (45 miles) southwest of tourist hotspot Marrakesh, the US Geological Survey reported.
In the mountain village of Moulay Brahim near the quake’s epicentre, rescue teams searched for survivors in the rubble of collapsed houses while residents began digging graves for the dead on a nearby hill.
The army set up a field hospital in the village and deployed “significant human and logistical resources” to support the rescue operation, state news agency MAP reported.
The death toll from the powerful earthquake that struck Morocco has risen to 1,037, state television quoted the Interior Ministry as saying.
More than 1,200 people were injured in the magnitude 6.8 quake in Morocco’s High Atlas mountains late on Friday night, it added. pic.twitter.com/eZeSMaqIeP
— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) September 9, 2023
Next 48-72 hours critical for search and rescue: Red Cross
Caroline Holt, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent, said a massive aid effort will be needed following the “complicated” efforts to search and rescue survivors.
“Efforts will be complicated but these are the initial hours. This happened at night time when people were maybe sleeping in bed so only this morning did we start to see the impact of the earthquake unfold,” she told Al Jazeera.
“Right now and the next 48-72 hours will be critical in terms of life-saving search and rescue efforts in parallel with making sure that those that did survive are taken care of.”
MSF says it’s prepared to respond to Morocco earthquake
Doctors Without Borders (Medecins Sans Frontieres, or MSF) says it is prepared to respond to the earthquake in Morocco that killed more than 1,000 people and left many more injured.
Avril Benoît, executive director of MSF-USA, said in a statement on Saturday that people who live in the affected region are “key to the initial response” when searching for survivors.
“Earthquake survivors often require medical care such as surgery or dialysis, which can be a challenge when local health systems are affected by a disaster. Restoring health services and providing essential supplies also can be a priority at this stage. Our response will depend on the needs that are assessed on site,” she said.
US ready to provide assistance to Morocco: Blinken
The United States is ready to provide assistance to Morocco, following the deadly earthquake, Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said in a statement.
“I express my deep sadness at the loss of life and destruction caused by yesterday’s earthquake in Morocco and extend my heartfelt condolences to the families of those affected,” Blinken said.
“The United States is ready to provide any necessary assistance as Morocco responds to this tragedy.”
Pope expresses ‘profound solidarity’ with Morocco after earthquake: Vatican
Pope Francis has expressed solidarity with Moroccans affected by the earthquake.
“The pope expresses his profound solidarity with those who are touched in the flesh and heart by this tragedy,” read a telegram sent to Morocco by the Vatican’s Secretary of State Pietro Parolin.
Turkey’s disaster agency puts staff on alert
The Turkish Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) says it has placed 265 members of medical, relief, and search and rescue agencies on alert, in case it receives a distress call from Morocco.
It says 1,000 tents have been allocated to be transported to Morocco if it receives a request from the authorities in Rabat.
Qatar offers assistance to Morocco in light of earthquake
Qatar has offered to “provide all necessary assistance to the affected areas to support their recovery from the effects of the earthquake,” according to a statement by Qatar News Agency.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
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