The horror after the deathquake: the desperate search for survivors

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As rescuers carefully remove earth and stones, other helpers comfort the desperate mother, who worries about her daughter under the rubble.

Whether the 20-year-old will survive the devastating earthquake in Morocco, which has already claimed the lives of more than 2,100 people, is still completely unclear on Sunday evening. To give the young woman a chance, helpers in the village of Ouirgane in southern Marrakech must act with great caution.

Rescue is therefore progressing very slowly, while at the same time opportunities are closing for those trapped under the rubble. Experts give a guideline of 72 hours during which a person can go without water for the longest time.

The despair is great

Not far from the rescue site, an exhausted-looking man prays in front of destroyed houses. Meanwhile, across the road that runs through Ouirgane, several residents are fighting over food and water that emergency services have just brought.

It took a long time before official aid started in the village and the surrounding towns. The desperation among people is therefore great. Initially, only private helpers came, residents report. Many roads were initially blocked by broken rocks. In the remote mountain areas the helpers therefore made progress only with difficulty.

On Sunday afternoon, large numbers of army trucks finally drove over the narrow and steep winding roads south of Marrakech. Soldiers set up tent cities for people who have lost their homes or fear their homes will collapse due to further earthquakes.

“Everything’s okay, thank God”

The magnitude 6.8 earthquake shook Morocco on Saturday night. It was the worst in the country in decades. More than 2,400 people were also injured. Hundreds are also missing.

On a road leading to Marrakech, residents on Sunday evening asked motorists if they could briefly charge their mobile phones in their cars so they could contact family and friends. “I’m doing well, thank God,” Fatma reports excitedly to her relatives on the other end of the line.

There was little evidence of the disaster in Marrakesh itself on Monday evening. Despite much damage after the earthquake in the city, the cafes and restaurants in the city, which is also popular among foreign tourists, are well filled. The news from the villages, which are about an hour and a half away by car and which are broadcast on screens in many restaurants, seems very far away here. (SDA/jmh)

Source: Blick