Soldiers and international relief teams continue search operations in remote mountain towns that were severely damaged on Friday by the strongest earthquake to hit Morocco in more than a century.
More than 2,100 people have died, a number that is expected to rise. The earthquake also injured thousands and displaced an estimated 300,000 people.
Rebecca Tremblay was visiting Morocco from Los Angeles and felt the ground start to shake.
“That’s when I realized, ‘Oh, something’s wrong.’ “All the walls felt like dough, and the floor felt like it was melting under my knees,” Tremblay said. “I thought I was going to die.”
The epicenter of the earthquake was high in the Atlas Mountains south of Marrakesh.
The worst devastation occurred in rural communities on unpaved roads that snake over the mountainous terrain and are now blocked by fallen rocks.
In an area where bricks are usually made of clay, Friday’s quake easily caused buildings to collapse, trapping people inside and sending others fleeing in panic.
Rescuers are trying to dig through the rubble to find any potential survivors, and they have found some of them still alive.
In the village of Taroudant, residents sympathized with each other. A man said that two of his daughters died when the ceiling collapsed on them while they were sleeping. Another man lost his wife, daughter, parents and sister-in-law.
Thousands line up to donate blood. Moroccan citizen Jalila Jorina said: “We saw on the news that they needed to donate blood and I didn’t even think twice.”
Families spent another night sleeping outside, afraid to return to their damaged homes after as many as 17 aftershocks. Many are still waiting for food, water and electricity.
The Biden administration has reached out to the Moroccan government to help provide immediate assistance. Joe Biden said: “We are working urgently to ensure the safety of American citizens in Morocco, and we stand ready to provide any necessary assistance to the Moroccan people as well.”
Blessing of the CBN process She is already working on the ground with a local pastor to help victims in rural areas. Today they are working to deliver tents to villages as well as solar lights for people living outside after the earthquake. Click here to learn more about the blessing process in Morocco.
Strong #Earthquake It hit #Morocco Late Friday night. It is reported that more than 1,300 people died. Please keep this last #disaster Victims in your prayers. You can help those who need it most by donating to https://t.co/Yz2CUWZtej. pic.twitter.com/kxB0kGxXwT
– Operation Blessing (@operationbless) September 9, 2023
