MARRAKESH: The old city, or medina, of Marrakesh is on the UNESCO World Heritage list, drawing tourists who help account for about seven per cent of Morocco’s economy.
“We were asleep when the quake hit. Part of the roof fell and we found ourselves trapped inside but my husband and I managed to escape,” Ghabar recounted after the “nightmarish” events.
Interior ministry data on Saturday listed at least 13 quake fatalities in Marrakesh, known for its views of graceful red buildings set against palm trees and snow-capped mountains.
One of its landmarks, Jemaa el-Fna square, provided refuge for hundreds of residents and tourists seeking safety after the disaster. Some slept on the bare ground, without even a cover over themselves.
Others, like Ghannou Najem, in her 80s, spent a sleepless night.
Najem had arrived in Marrakesh from Casablanca, further north, just hours before the quake.
“I came to visit the city with my daughter and granddaughter,” who had gone out and left her in their hotel room when the quake hit.
“I was nearly asleep when I heard the doors and the shutters banging. I went outside in a panic. I thought I was going to die alone,” Najem said.
Leaders and diplomats the world over expressed condolences and support on Saturday for Morocco after a devastating earthquake struck near tourist hotspot Marrakesh.
The 6.8-magnitude earthquake that hit late on Friday killed more than 1,000 people and injured more than 1,000 more, many of them critically, according to Moroccan authorities.
Support poured in from leaders across the world, including:
The pope expressed his “profound solidarity” with Morocco after the quake, according to the Vatican.
Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, of Morocco’s cross-strait neighbour Spain, expressed his “solidarity and support to the people of Morocco in the wake of this terrible earthquake... Spain is with the victims of this tragedy”.
US President Joe Biden expressed his sympathy on Saturday for the victims of an earthquake in Morocco which killed more than 800 people, adding the United States was “ready to provide any necessary assistance”.
“I am deeply saddened by the loss of life and devastation caused by the earthquake in Morocco,” he said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with all those impacted by this terrible hardship.”
The European Council President Charles Michel wrote on X, formerly Twitter, “that EU stands ready to support Morocco in these difficult moments”.
Swiss President Alain Berset expressed his condolences. The country’s foreign ministry said it activated a crisis cell and is evaluating sending aid.
Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a “message of condolence” to Morocco on Saturday, state media reported, joining a chorus of international support for the North African country in the wake of a devastating earthquake.
“On September 9, President Xi Jinping sent a message of condolence to King Mohammed VI of Morocco over the severe earthquake in Morocco,” official broadcaster CCTV said.
Algeria offered “its sincere condolences to the brotherly Moroccan people for the victims of the earthquake”, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The president of the United Arab Emirates, Shaikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, said we “stand with the Kingdom of Morocco during this difficult time and wish a speedy recovery ahead to all those affected”.
He also ordered an “air bridge to deliver critical relief” to the country, according to state news agency WAM.
The head of the African Union Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, said he “learnt with great sadness of the tragic consequences of the earthquake that hit the kingdom of Morocco”, expressing his “sincere condolences” to the king, the Moroccan people and the families of the victims.
The Secretary-General of the Jeddah-based Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, Hissein Brahim Taha, prayed for “mercy on the victims and a speedy recovery for the injured”.
UN humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths said he was “deeply saddened by news of the quake.”
Teams from the Moroccan Red Crescent responded immediately supporting the affected people”.
— AFP
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