On Friday night, a harsh earthquake hit Morocco. Saturday found Marrakech in a state of shock, counting 820 lives lost.
Debris filled Mellah’s narrow lanes. This old Jewish quarter also saw buildings fall and roofs break.
“It felt like a bomb hit us,” said Hafida Sahraouia.
Dinner was interrupted by loud sounds. Hafida and her kids fled their collapsing house. They found refuge in a nearby square.
“We don’t know where to begin. Everything is gone,” Hafida added.
Mbarka El Ghabar, a neighbor, also lost her house. The roof fell while she and her husband slept. They escaped just in time.
“Last night was a nightmare,” she recounted.
Mbarka and Hafida kept their families safe. Fatiha Aboualchouak wasn’t as lucky. Her young nephew died.
Fatiha, walking with a limp, said, “I can’t talk about it.”
Local outlets report it’s the strongest quake to hit Morocco. The U.S. Geological Survey called it a 6.8-magnitude event, centered 71 km southwest of Marrakech.
In Marrakech, 13 died according to a quick tally. Tourists and locals took refuge in the famous Jemaa el-Fna square.
Some slept on the ground, while others like Ghannou Najem couldn’t sleep at all.
“I was alone when the quake struck. I thought I would die by myself,” Ghannou said.
Rabab Raïss, under a comforter, called it her life’s worst event. “I saw folks running. The dust from the falling structures terrified me,” she stated.
“My heart is with the victims,” Rabab added.
Other Cities
The tremor also reached Rabat, Casablanca, Agadir, and Esauira. People there fled to the streets, worried their homes might crumble.
This wasn’t Morocco’s first tragedy when a harsh earthquake hit Morocco. A 2004 quake in Alhucemas killed 628. In 1960, Agadir lost a third of its population, over 12,000, to another quake.
With information from AFP