
Agony as more dead bodies emerge from Morocco’s deadly earthquake disaster
Villagers reportedly wept for lost relatives in the rubble of their homes yesterday as the death toll from Morocco’s deadliest earthquake in more than six decades rose to almost 2,700 and rescuers raced against time to find survivors.
Search teams from Spain, Britain and Qatar were reportedly joining Moroccan rescue efforts after a 6.8 magnitude quake struck late on Friday in the High Atlas Mountains, with the epicentre 72 km southwest of Marrakech.
The state news agency reported the death toll had risen to 2,681 with 2,501 people injured. Rescuers said the traditional mud brick houses abundant in the region reduced the chances of finding survivors because they had crumbled.
Footage from the remote village of Imi N’Tala, filmed by Spanish rescuer United Firefighters Without Borders, showed men and dogs clambering over steep slopes covered in rubble.