Families Spend a Second Night Outdoors in Marrakech
In the early hours of Sunday, families gathered in Marrakech, where they spent a second night on the streets following the most violent earthquake Morocco has seen in more than fifty years. This earthquake has caused many people to worry about the safety of their homes.
Uncertainty Planes in Marrakech
In Marrakech, located about 70 kilometers northeast of the epicenter of the earthquake, a feeling of uncertainty reigns among many residents. They fear that the earthquake, which has already claimed the lives of more than 2,000 people, has caused damage to their homes, or even made them vulnerable to future aftershocks in the hours or days to come.
Since Friday’s earthquake, Mohammed Aya El Haj, 51, has been sleeping on the streets of the historic city of Marrakech with his family, after discovering cracks in the walls of his house.
He told Reuters: “I can’t sleep there. I asked the authorities to help me and bring in an expert to assess whether I can return home or not. If the danger persists, I will not return home. »
Moroccans Spend the Night Outdoors
Across Morocco, residents spent their night outdoors after the earthquake hit the country. The Ministry of the Interior announced yesterday that the death toll from the earthquake stood at 2,012 deaths, in addition to 2,059 injured.
Parts of the historic city of Marrakech, a famous tourist attraction for Moroccans and foreigners, were damaged by the quake. Last Saturday, Moroccans and foreigners strolled the streets of the old town to take photos of the damage and dined at popular restaurants, while others gathered to spend the night in the main square.
Nourredine Lahbabi, a 68-year-old retired man with four children, was preparing to spend a second night outside. He expressed sadness over the damage caused to people’s homes, saying: “It’s a painful experience. When this happens to your brother or sister, it’s really painful. »
Mohammed Idzadhi, an American of Moroccan descent, was inspecting damage to a mosque in the city last Saturday, near where his mother lives. He was in the town’s main square when the earthquake struck and urged Moroccans to take care of the most vulnerable people.
He said: “I am absolutely convinced that our people… our Moroccan people and our Moroccan community can come together and get through this ordeal safely and in peace. »
Far from the city, families spent the night in the open, along the roads. Joura, an 11-year-old girl, expressed her discomfort next to her father, given that she had to sleep near strangers.
