Current:Home > ContactAftershock rattles Morocco as death toll from earthquake rises to 2,100 -GrowthProspect
Aftershock rattles Morocco as death toll from earthquake rises to 2,100
View
Date:2025-04-24 21:15:56
An aftershock rattled Moroccans on Sunday as they mourned victims of the nation's strongest earthquake in more than a century and sought to rescue survivors while soldiers and aid workers raced to reach ruined mountain villages. The disaster killed more than 2,100 people — a number that is expected to rise.
The United Nations estimated that 300,000 people were affected by Friday night's magnitude 6.8 quake and some Moroccans complained on social networks that the government wasn't allowing more outside help. International aid crews were poised to deploy, but some grew frustrated waiting for the government to officially request assistance.
"We know there is a great urgency to save people and dig under the remains of buildings," said Arnaud Fraisse, founder of Rescuers Without Borders, who had a team stuck in Paris waiting for the green light. "There are people dying under the rubble, and we cannot do anything to save them."
Help was slow to arrive in Amizmiz, where a whole chunk of the town of orange and red sandstone brick homes carved into a mountainside appeared to be missing. A mosque's minaret had collapsed.
"It's a catastrophe,'' said villager Salah Ancheu, 28. "We don't know what the future is. The aid remains insufficient."
Help was slow to arrive in Amizmiz, where a whole chunk of the town of orange and red sandstone brick homes carved into a mountainside appeared to be missing. A mosque's minaret had collapsed.
"It's a catastrophe,'' said villager Salah Ancheu, 28. "We don't know what the future is. The aid remains insufficient."
Those left homeless — or fearing more aftershocks — slept outside Saturday, in the streets of the ancient city of Marrakech or under makeshift canopies in hard-hit Atlas Mountain towns like Moulay Brahim. The worst destruction was in rural communities that are hard to reach because the roads that snake up the mountainous terrain were covered by fallen rocks.
Those areas were shaken anew Sunday by a magnitude 3.9 aftershock, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It wasn't immediately clear if it caused more damage or casualties, but it was likely strong enough to rattle nerves in areas where damage has left buildings unstable and residents feared aftershocks.
Friday's earthquake toppled buildings not strong enough to withstand such a mighty temblor, trapping people in the rubble and sending others fleeing in terror. A total of 2,122 people were confirmed dead and at least 2,421 others were injured — 1,404 of them critically, the Interior Ministry reported.
Most of the dead — 1,351 — were in the Al Haouz district in the High Atlas Mountains, the ministry said.
Flags were lowered across Morocco, as King Mohammed VI ordered three days of national mourning starting Sunday. The army mobilized search and rescue teams, and the king ordered water, food rations and shelters to be sent to those who lost homes.
He also called for mosques to hold prayers Sunday for the victims, many of whom were buried Saturday amid the frenzy of rescue work nearby.
But Morocco has not made an international appeal for help like Turkey did in the hours following a massive quake earlier this year, according to aid groups.
Aid offers poured in from around the world, and the U.N. said it had a team in Morocco coordinating international support. About 100 teams made up of a total of 3,500 rescuers are registered with a U.N. platform and ready to deploy in Morocco when asked, Rescuers Without Borders said. Germany had a team of more than 50 rescuers waiting near Cologne-Bonn Airport but sent them home, news agency dpa reported.
In a sign Morocco may be prepared to accept more assistance, a Spanish search and rescue team arrived in Marrakech and was headed to the rural Talat N'Yaaqoub, according to Spain's Emergency Military Unit. Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said in a radio interview that Moroccan authorities asked for help. Another rescue team from Nice, France, also was on its way.
In France, which has many ties to Morocco and said four of its citizens died in the quake, towns and cities have offered more than 2 million euros ($2.1 million) in aid. Popular performers are collecting donations.
In a sign Morocco may be prepared to accept more assistance, a Spanish search and rescue team arrived in Marrakech and was headed to the rural Talat N'Yaaqoub, according to Spain's Emergency Military Unit. Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said in a radio interview that Moroccan authorities asked for help. Another rescue team from Nice, France, also was on its way.
In France, which has many ties to Morocco and said four of its citizens died in the quake, towns and cities have offered more than 2 million euros ($2.1 million) in aid. Popular performers are collecting donations.
There was little time for mourning as survivors tried to salvage anything from damaged homes.
Khadija Fairouje's face was puffy from crying as she joined relatives and neighbors hauling possessions down rock-strewn streets. She had lost her daughter and three grandsons aged 4 to 11 when their home collapsed while they were sleeping less than 48 hours earlier.
- In:
- Morocco
- Earthquake
veryGood! (6646)
Related
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- 2 swimmers bitten by sharks in separate incidents off same Florida beach
- Police broadcast message from escaped murderer's mother during manhunt, release new images of fugitive
- Helicopter and small plane collide midair in Alaska national park, injuring 1 person
- New data highlights 'achievement gap' for students in the US
- Alex Murdaugh seeks new trial in murders of wife and son, claiming clerk tampered with jury
- Rhode Island voters to decide Democratic and Republican primary races for congressional seat
- A look at the 20 articles of impeachment against Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Triathlon
- 'Most impressive fireball I have ever witnessed:' Witnesses dazzled by Mid-Atlantic meteor
Ranking
- US appeals court rejects Nasdaq’s diversity rules for company boards
- 23 people injured after driver crashes car into Denny’s restaurant in Texas
- 'Friday Night Lights' author Buzz Bissinger is an unlikely hero in book-ban fight
- Illinois School Districts Vie for Clean School Bus Funds
- Working Well: When holidays present rude customers, taking breaks and the high road preserve peace
- A three-judge panel has blocked Alabama’s congressional districts, ordering new lines drawn
- Disney seeks to amend lawsuit against DeSantis to focus on free speech claim
- Georgia can resume enforcing ban on hormone replacement therapy for transgender youth, judge says
Recommendation
Most popular books of the week: See what topped USA TODAY's bestselling books list
Retired Mississippi trooper killed after car rolls on top of him at the scene of a crash
Biden nominates former Treasury Secretary Jacob Lew to serve as ambassador to Israel
These 21 Affordable Amazon Jewelry Pieces Keep Selling Out
Alex Murdaugh’s murder appeal cites biased clerk and prejudicial evidence
Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet Make First Public Appearance Together at Beyoncé Concert
Myanmar won’t be allowed to lead Association of Southeast Asian Nations in 2026, in blow to generals
Alexander Payne makes ‘em like they used to: Fall Movie Preview