The death toll in Morocco’s deadliest earthquake has surpassed more than 2,800 as rescuers race against time to rescue survivors.
Morrocan rescue teams have been joined by search teams from Spain, Britain, and Qatar after a 6.8 magnitude quake struck late on Friday in the High Atlas Mountains, with the epicenter 72 km (45 miles) southwest of Marrakech.
State TV said the death toll had risen to 2,862, with 2,562 people injured. Rescuers said the traditional mud brick houses ubiquitous in the region reduced the chances of finding survivors because they had crumbled.
Suleiman Aytnasr, 7, had fallen asleep in his home's living room in a village outside of Talat N'Yaaqoub, one of the worst-hit places, was among the dead.
His mother brought him to his bedroom after falling asleep there. He was set to begin a new academic year.
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"As she came back, the earthquake happened and the ceiling was destroyed and fell on him," said Suleiman's father, Brahim Aytnasr, whose eyes were red from crying. He had spent Monday trying to salvage items from the debris of his house.
Search and rescue operations appeared to be accelerating on Monday after an initial response that some survivors criticized as being too slow.
Tent camps started to form in some areas where people were getting ready for a fourth night outside.
A military helicopter was seen flying over a region near the epicenter and dropping sacks of food to isolated residents in a video shot by the Moroccan station 2ma.
🎥 مروحيات القوات المسلحة الملكية تواصل تحليقها فوق المناطق المتضررة في محيط بؤرة زلزال الحوز لإيصال المساعدات الضرورية للدواوير المعزولة والتي يصعب الولوج اليها عبر المسالك البرية.#زلزال_الحوز #زلزال_المغرب #المغرب pic.twitter.com/Ui1RI0auVe
— 2M.ma (@2MInteractive) September 11, 2023
The authorities have not provided any estimates for the number of individuals missing because a large portion of the earthquake zone is in difficult-to-reach locations.
The damage done to Morocco's cultural heritage has gradually become apparent. Buildings in the UNESCO World Heritage Site, Marrakech's Old City, were harmed.
The historically significant 12-century Tinmel Mosque also sustained substantial damage from the earthquake.
Residents of Tinmel said they had been sharing food, water, and medicine but sorely needed tents and blankets to hide from the chilly mountain evenings. Tinmel is a secluded community near to the epicenter where 15 people were killed.
