Three days after the country’s largest earthquake on record, rescuers in Morocco’s Atlas Mountains faced a race against time to extract any survivors from the ruins of destroyed villages.
According to official data revised late on Sunday, the 6.8-magnitude earthquake that occurred late on Friday southwest of Marrakesh caused more than 2,100 fatalities and over 2,400 injuries, many of them gravely.
In addition to the numerous other governments that have stated their willingness to give aid, Rabat said on Sunday that it had accepted four foreign offers of assistance.
According to the interior ministry, offers from Spain, Britain, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates “to send search and rescue teams” have been well received “at this stage” by the authorities.
It was stated that only four offers had been accepted because “a lack of coordination could be counterproductive” and that the foreign teams were in communication with Moroccan authorities to coordinate efforts.
The ministry said that in the future, “if the needs evolve,” other bids might be accepted.
According to President Emmanuel Macron, France was prepared to offer assistance “the second” Morocco asked for it.
A Qatari aid flight left from Al-Udeid air base outside Doha on Sunday evening, an AFP journalist said.
Spain has sent 86 rescuers and eight search dogs to Morocco to “help in the search and rescue of survivors of the devastating earthquake suffered in our neighbouring country”, said a defence ministry statement.
“We will send whatever is needed because everyone knows that these first hours are key, especially if there are people buried under rubble,” Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles told public television.
