Moroccan Villages Cut Off As Earthquake Wipes Out Road
Rescuers in Morocco have been using their bare hands to dig for survivors, after a powerful earthquake on Friday that claimed more than 2,000 lives.
Heavy lifting equipment can’t get through roads blocked by boulders to reach remote villages near the epicentre in the Atlas Mountains.
Many lie in ruins with local people desperately awaiting aid.
The Moroccan Government says it has accepted aid from four countries so far – Britain, Spain, Qatar and the UAE
Friday’s earthquake, the country’s deadliest in 60 years, struck below villages in the high Atlas Mountains South of Marrakesh.
Across the high Atlas Mountains, home to some of Morocco’s most marginalised, the scale of destruction is starting to take shape.
This scene of destruction and despair is being played out across many parts of the High Atlas Mountains.
Our 90-minute zigzag drive from Marrakesh up to the remote mountainside was elongated by boulders and rocks that lined the route and obscured our path.
Broken and blocked roads have been seriously hampering the rescue effort. Teams have been fanning out from the main cities – notably Marrakesh – to try to reach the very worst-affected areas in the hope of pulling survivors from the rubble.
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On our trip, a procession of ambulances raced past us, further into the unknown. Aerial footage has given us an idea of what awaits these emergency services, but it’s still too early to gauge just how many people have lost their lives.
Heavy-lifting equipment will be needed if there are to be any miracles in the coming hours. Not just in Moulay Brahim, but in many places. Hands and hammers can only do so much.
Back in Marrakesh, thousands have been spending a second night in the open air. Roundabouts, car parks and a public square have been filled with figures of all ages wrapped in blankets.
Few appear to be sleeping, though – at least not soundly. Being in the relative safety of the outside doesn’t quell the fear of what another tremor could do.
There’s rubble in many streets of this historic city, although Marrakesh has fared better than the mountainous areas to the south-west.
A restaurant owner, Safa El Hakym, is trying to take in the damage.
“Thank God it’s just the walls and materials that are gone,” she says. “The most important things are not lost.
“And thank God we have the power of humanity in Morocco: we are all together and putting our hearts into this and helping each other.”
