Morocco earthquake – live: Race to find survivors as death toll tops 2,901

Rescuers are racing the clock to find survivors in the rubble more than 48 hours after Morocco's deadliest earthquake in more than six decades.

Some 2,901 have people have been killed in a disaster that devastated villages in the High Atlas Mountains. More than 5,000 are still missing.

Aftershocks will continue to rock Morocco weeks or months, a seismological expert has warned. Remy Mossu, the director of the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre, told Sky News that more than 25 aftershocks have already hit the country since the 6.8 magnitude earthquake.

“There will be aftershocks. It is not probably, it is a certainty,” he said.

Some villagers say they are struggling to find enough space to bury their dead as funerals can take place beside rescue work. Others are preparing extra graves ready for more bodies, even as rescue operations continue.

Morocco’s King Mohammed VI has thanked Spain, Qatar, the United Kingdom and the United Arab Emirates for sending aid, with the UK government set to send 60 search and rescue specialists and four search dogs to Morocco.

The damage from the quake could take several years to repair, according to the Red Cross.

Key Points

• Death toll rises to 2,800

• UK sends 60 search and rescue specialists to Morocco

• US Geological Survey releases map revealing location of 7.2-magnitude earthquake

• France is ready to help Morocco, says Macron

• Cause of Morocco's disastrous earthquake decoded

ICYMI: Strange ‘earthquake lights’ spotted above Morocco moments before devastating tremors remain a mystery

16:03 , Matt Mathers

Flashes in the sky above Morocco moments before a devastating earthquake struck the country and killed thousands were captured in social media videos – similar to unexplained lights seen during previous large seismic events as well.

This bizarre occurrence is likely a phenomenon known as earthquake lights (EQL). They were spotted earlier this year during the massive tremors that struck Turkey and Syria, and in 2017 above Mexico after a powerful 7-magnitude earthquake.

Vishwam Sankaran reports:

Strange ‘earthquake lights’ seen above Morocco just before tremors remain a mystery

Firefighters from northwest help with rescue effort

15:35 , Matt Mathers

Five firefighters from Manchester have gone to help with the rescue mission in Morocco.

Station manager Martin Foran, watch managers Gavin Kearsley, John Hughes, Simon Cording and Mike Hirst travelled to the African country on Sunday night.

They are part of the UK International Search and Rescue team dispatched to Morocco.

Morocco expresses ‘full solidarity with Libya as neighbour hit by floods

15:17 , Matt Mathers

Morocco has expressed “full solidarity” with Libya after the African country was hit by flood.

More than 1,000 have been killed and thousands more are missing after two dams burst and four bridges collapsed in Derna, home to around 100,000.

Much of the city was left under water.

"The Kingdom of Morocco expresses its full solidarity with the sisterly state of Libya following the storm and floods that have affected certain regions of the country, causing several human casualties and property losses," the Moroccan foreign ministry said in a statement.

It could take up to six years to rebuild some areas

14:21 , Matt Mathers

It could take up to six years to rebuild some of the areas worst affected by the earthquake, Morocco president Enaam Mayara has said.

Emergency response efforts are likely to continue as teams traverse mountain roads to reach villages hit hardest by the earthquake.

Many communities lack food, water, electricity and shelter. But once aid crews and soldiers leave, the challenges facing hundreds of thousands who call the area home will probably remain.

Members of the Moroccan parliament convened Monday to create a government fund for earthquake response at the request of King Mohammed VI.

Moroccan prime minister Aziz Akhannouch said afterward that the government was committed to compensating victims and helping them rebuild.

Enaam Mayara, the president of Morocco’s House of Councilors, said that it would likely take five or six years to rebuilt some affected areas.

People still stuck under rubble days after quale

13:43 , Matt Mathers

People are still stuck under the rubble of buildings destroyed by the earthquake days after it struck, a volunteer has said.

Errachid Montassir, an activist and humanitarian worker, has been travelling with doctors to remote villages in the Atlas Mountains.

He told Al Jazeera it took the team five hours to reach the town of Ijjoukak because the road was blocked.

“It was a disaster and also a shock to see people still under the ground there,” he said.

“The army is doing [its] job to bring these people out of the ground, but also it’s very, very difficult to reach these places, so you can imagine that there is no food but also there’s no blankets or beds where people can sleep.”

Morocco quake toll likely to rise with rescuers yet to reach some remote villages

13:05 , Matt Mathers

Many survivors of Morocco’s most powerful earthquake in over a century were struggling in makeshift shelters on Tuesday after a fourth night outside, with rescuers yet to reach remote mountain villages which suffered some of the worst devastation.

The death toll from the 6.8 magnitude quake that struck in the High Atlas Mountains late on Friday stood at 2,862, with 2,562 people injured, but those figures looked likely to rise. Rescuers from Spain, Britain and Qatar were helping Morocco’s search teams, while Italy, Belgium, France and Germany said their offers of assistance had yet to be approved. Hopes of finding survivors under the rubble were fading, not least because many of the traditional mud brick houses that are common in the mountain villages crumbled to earthen rubble without leaving air pockets. With the worst-hit area located in rugged, isolated terrain, the picture on Tuesday was patchy, with some organised tent camps being set up and supplies being airlifted in, while in other locations no aid at all had arrived due to roads being blocked by rocks and earth dislodged by the quake. Some survivors had camped out in the open with hastily packed bundles along the Tizi n’Test road, which connects remote valleys to Marrakech, after fleeing their destroyed villages.

"The authorities are focusing on the bigger communities and not the remote villages that are worst affected," said Hamid Ait Bouyali, 40, waiting on the roadside. "There are some villages that still have the dead buried under the rubble."

Morocco earthquake is most poweful in decades

12:40 , Matt Mathers

The Morocco earthquake that has killed more than 2,000 people was the strongest to hit the north African nation in several decades.

The earthquake struck just after 11pm on Friday and has impacted the entire region, with tremors being felt thousands of miles away in Portugal and Algeria.

The quake’s epicentre is in the middle of the country and located at the High Atlas Mountains in the Ighil area, about 40 miles (70km) south of Marrakech.

Anuj Pant reports:

Morocco earthquake that killed over 2,000 is north Africa’s most powerful in decades

ActionAid UK launches emergency Morocco earthquake appeal

12:20 , Matt Mathers

Charity ActionAid UK has launched an emergency Morocco earthquake appeal to support the communities most affected by the disaster.

The magnitude 6.8 tremor late on Friday damaged buildings from villages in the Atlas Mountains to the historic city of Marrakesh.

Luke O’Reilly reports:

ActionAid UK launches emergency Morocco earthquake appeal

What to know about the Morocco earthquake and the efforts to help

11:48 , Matt Mathers

Law enforcement and aid workers — both Moroccan and international — have arrived in the region south of Marrakech that was hardest hit by the magnitude-6.8 tremor Friday night and several aftershocks. Residents await food, water and electricity, and giant boulders now block steep mountain roads.

Here’s what you need to know:

What to know about the Morocco earthquake and the efforts to help

Strange ‘earthquake lights’ spotted above Morocco moments before devastating tremors remain a mystery

11:24 , Matt Mathers

Flashes in the sky above Morocco moments before a devastating earthquake struck the country and killed thousands were captured in social media videos – similar to unexplained lights seen during previous large seismic events as well.

This bizarre occurrence is likely a phenomenon known as earthquake lights (EQL). They were spotted earlier this year during the massive tremors that struck Turkey and Syria, and in 2017 above Mexico after a powerful 7-magnitude earthquake.

Vishwam Sankaran reports:

Strange ‘earthquake lights’ seen above Morocco just before tremors remain a mystery

Locals donate blood to hospitals in Marrakesh

10:58 , Matt Mathers

People in Marrakesh have been donating blood to their local hospitals to help those injured in the earthquake, according to a report.

“People are lined up outside, coming here to donate what is essential for the injured, for the victims and also for those who are still expected to come,” Al Jazeera’s Stefanie Dekker said.

The most affected area is in the Atlas Mountains about 70km southwest of Marrakesh, where many of the villages there lack roads linking them to urban areas.

IFRC seeks $112 mln to support Morocco quake victims

10:26 , Matt Mathers

The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) on Tuesday launched an emergency appeal to raise 100 million Swiss francs ($112.3 million) to support the victims of the earthquake in Morocco.

"In this appeal, we are seeking 100 million CHF to be able to deliver on the most pressing needs at this time," including water, sanitation and shelter, Caroline Holt, global director for operations at IFRC, told reporters in Geneva.

"We need to make sure that we avoid a second wave of disaster."

ICYMI - Mapped: Morocco earthquake that killed over 2,000 and levelled buildings in Marrakech

09:53 , Matt Mathers

The Morocco earthquake that has killed more than 2,000 people was the strongest to hit the north African nation in several decades.

The earthquake struck just after 11pm on Friday and has impacted the entire region, with tremors being felt thousands of miles away in Portugal and Algeria.

The quake’s epicentre is in the middle of the country and located at the High Atlas Mountains in the Ighil area, about 40 miles (70km) south of Marrakech.

Anuj Pant reports:

Morocco earthquake that killed over 2,000 is north Africa’s most powerful in decades

How can I support victims of the Morocco earthquake?

08:58 , Matt Mathers

Thousands have been affected following an earthquake in Morocco on Friday 8 September that has devastated rural communities in the Atlas Mountains.

Mountainside villages in the epicentre, Al Haouz province (44 miles south of Marrakech), were destroyed and many have lost their lives. Some 2,476 people have been injured and the death toll has risen to 2,500 as a result of the 6.8 magnitude earthquake.

Natalie Wilson reports on how you can help:

How can I support victims of the Morocco earthquake?

Few buildings left standing in Tikekhte

08:25 , Matt Mathers

In Tikekhte, where few buildings have been left standing, 66-year-old Mohamed Ouchen described how residents rescued 25 people - one of whom was his sister.

"We were busy rescuing. Because we didn’t have tools, we used our hands," he said. "Her head was visible and we kept digging by hand."

Footage from the remote village of Imi N’Tala, filmed by Spanish rescuer Antonio Nogales of the aid group Bomberos Unidos Sin Fronteras (United Firefighters Without Borders), showed men and dogs clambering over steep slopes covered in rubble.

"The level of destruction is ... absolute," said Nogales on Monday, struggling to find the right word to describe what he was seeing. "Not a single house has stayed upright."

Despite the scale of the damage, he said rescuers searching with dogs still hoped to find survivors.

The epicentre of the quake was about 72 km (45 miles) southwest of Marrakech, where some historical buildings in the old city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, were damaged. The quake also did major damage to the historically significant 12th-century Tinmel Mosque.

Tinmel village pulverised by quake

07:53 , Matt Mathers

In the village of Tinmel, almost every house was pulverised and the entire community has been left homeless. The stench of death from dozens of animals buried under the rubble wafts through parts of the village.

Mouhamad Elhasan, 59, said he had been eating dinner with his family when the earthquake struck. His 31-year-old son fled outside and was hit as their neighbour’s roof collapsed, trapping him under the rubble.

Elhasan said he searched for his son as he cried for help. But eventually the cries stopped, and by the time he reached his son he was dead. Elhasan and his wife and daughter remained inside their home and survived.

"If he had stayed inside the house he would have been ok," Elhasan said.

In Tinmel and in other villages residents said they had pulled people out of the rubble with their bare hands.

ICYMI - ‘I know I’m lucky to be alive’: Morocco travel insider says country will rebuild tourism in wake of earthquake

07:27 , Matt Mathers

The British man who has done more than anyone else to build tourism in Morocco’s Atlas Mountains says he is “lucky to be alive” after he was caught up in Friday’s catastrophic earthquake.

But some students attending the schools in the area he helped to establish have died.

Simon Calder reports:

‘I’m lucky to be alive’: Morocco travel insider says country will rebuild tourism

Number of missing unknown

07:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar

With much of the quake zone in hard-to-reach areas, authorities have not issued any estimates for the number of missing.

The earthquake, Morocco’s deadliest in more than six decades, has claimed the lives of nearly 2,800 people and a similar number of wounded, many of them seriously. However, authorities have not yet revealed the number of missing.

Search teams from Britain, Spain and Qatar have joined efforts to find people buried under the rubble, including in some of the remote villages in the High Atlas mountains close to the epicentre of the quake.

British tourists had to sleep on streets after Morocco earthquake, husband says

06:45 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Two British tourists slept on the streets of a village in the Atlas mountains – unable to contact their families following a devastating earthquake in Morocco, one of their husbands has said.

Rebecca Calvert, 63, and friend Hilary Mckegney, 64, had just arrived in the remote village of Imlil in the Atlas Mountains to go on a hiking trip when the earthquake struck.

The magnitude 6.8 tremor late on Friday damaged buildings from villages in the Atlas Mountains to the historic city of Marrakesh.

The official death toll from the earthquake was more than 2,800 people by Sunday evening.

British tourists had to sleep on streets after Morocco earthquake, husband says

Morocco wedding interrupted by 6.8-magnitude earthquake

06:30 , Maroosha Muzaffar

A powerful earthquake interrupted a wedding in Morocco on Friday, 8 September.

Footage from Marrakech shows musicians abandoning the stage and fleeing through a doorway as people scream.

More than 2,000 people have died after the earthquake struck late on Friday and thousands have spent three nights sleeping in the streets following the disaster.

The UK is set to send 60 search and rescue specialists and four search dogs to Morocco.

Damage could take several years to repair, according to the Red Cross.

Morocco wedding interrupted by 6.8-magnitude earthquake

Race against time to find survivors of Morocco earthquake as death toll nears 2,800

06:15 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Rescuers face a race against time to find survivors of the deadly earthquake in Morocco, with international search and rescue personnel arriving to help the search almost 72 hours after the disaster.

The earthquake, Morocco’s deadliest in more than six decades, has claimed the lives of nearly 2,700 people and a similar number of wounded, many of them seriously.

Search teams from Britain, Spain and Qatar have joined efforts to find people buried under the rubble, including in some of the remote villages in the High Atlas mountains close to the epicentre of the quake.

“The level of destruction is... absolute,” said Spanish rescuer Antonio Nogales. “Not a single house has stayed upright.”

“We’re going to start our search with dogs and see whether we can find anyone alive,” he said in video footage he filmed in the village of Imi N’Tala, about 45 miles (72km) from Marrakech.

Race against time to find survivors of Morocco earthquake as death toll nears 2,700

‘I know I’m lucky to be alive’: Morocco travel insider says country will rebuild tourism in wake of earthquake

06:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The British man who has done more than anyone else to build tourism in Morocco’s Atlas Mountains says he is “lucky to be alive” after he was caught up in Friday’s catastrophic earthquake.

But some students attending the schools in the area he helped to establish have died.

Mike McHugo is a visionary entrepreneur who transformed an ancient fort 60km south of Marrakech into a sought-after eco-lodge known as the Kasbah du Toubkal. It is located in the foothills of North Africa’s highest mountain, Toubkal, above the village of Imlil.

He was in bed in the property at 11.11pm on Friday when the earthquake struck.

“I was woken up and I knew instantly it was an earthquake. I was in a room with my brother and I knew we couldn’t get out because we’re in a downstairs bedroom and stuff was falling around. I just told him to get under the bed or close to the bed.

‘I’m lucky to be alive’: Morocco travel insider says country will rebuild tourism

Morocco travel advice: Is it safe to travel to Marrakech right now?

05:41 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The death toll is rising following a catastrophic earthquake in Morocco late at night on Friday 8 September. More than 2,800 people have been killed and injured after the 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck.

The epicentre was about 70km (43 miles) southwest of Marrakech – the fourth-biggest city in Morocco, and by far the most popular draw for international visitors.

Thousands of British holidaymakers are in the area, with many thousands more booked to go there during September. This is the travel picture:

Survivor recounts harrowing moment earthquake hit

05:32 , Maroosha Muzaffar

One of the survivors, Hicham Ahazar who lives in Asni recounted the moment the earthquake hit.

He told CNN that he grabbed his sister and rushed outside. “I grabbed her and we ran outside. And as soon as we got outside, a whole wall collapsed.”

It was during this escape that he ended up hurting his own leg. “I looked at my leg later and I saw there was a lot of blood. But I almost didn’t notice it. It was crazy.”

It was days later when he received some help and saw a medical professional who cleaned up his wound and bandaged his leg properly.

‘There is nothing we can do here’

05:21 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Spanish firefighters were among the first professional teams to reach the devastated community up in the village of Algou, high in the Atlas Mountains.

“There is nothing we can do here,” Juan Lopez, a Spanish firefighter responding to the earthquake in Morocco, told BBC News.

“Here in Morocco, the houses are built from rocks. In Turkey they were made with steel and are much more strong,” Mr Lopez said. He also went to Turkey during the devastating earthquake there.

“We won’t find anyone here.”

Speed of rescue in remote regions criticised

04:54 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Up in the Ighil District in the Atlas Mountains, the speed of rescue operations has been criticised, Sky News reported.

The region is remote and rescuers are racing against time to find survivors.

One unidentified woman was quoted as saying that the villagers could hear screams from under the rubble but nobody came to help.

The villagers in the remote part of Morocco did what they could without the right equipment. The woman said that those under the rubble could have survived had help arrived on time.

“My house fell down, gone, it collapsed on me and my family, I rescued my two daughters and their mother, but I lost my other two children, and I have no furniture, nothing left,” a man said.

Nearly 100,000 children impacted by Morocco earthquake, UNICEF says

04:19 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Nearly 100,000 children have been impacted by the devastating earthquake in Morocco, according to UNICEF.

The agency said that it doesn’t know the exact number of children killed or injured but “the latest estimates from 2022 indicate that children represent almost a third of the population in Morocco”.

“Thousands of homes have been destroyed, displacing families, and exposing them to the elements at a time of year when temperatures drop down during the nighttime. Schools, hospitals and other medical and educational facilities have been damaged or destroyed by the quakes, further impacting children,” UNICEF said in a statement.

The agency said it has “already mobilised humanitarian staff to support the immediate response on the ground, which is being led by the Kingdom of Morocco”.

Mapped: Morocco earthquake that killed over 2,000 and levelled buildings in Marrakech

Tuesday 12 September 2023 00:01 , Eleanor Noyce

The Morocco earthquake that has killed more than 2,000 people was the strongest to hit the north African nation in several decades.

The earthquake struck just after 11pm on Friday and has impacted the entire region, with tremors being felt thousands of miles away in Portugal and Algeria.

The quake’s epicentre is in the middle of the country and located at the High Atlas Mountains in the Ighil area, about 40 miles (70km) south of Marrakech.

Read more:

Morocco earthquake that killed over 2,000 is north Africa’s most powerful in decades

Which countries are helping Morocco?

Monday 11 September 2023 23:20 , Eleanor Noyce

It was the North African country’s deadliest earthquake since 1960, when a tremor was estimated to have killed at least 12,000 people, and the most powerful since at least 1900, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

In a televised statement on Sunday, government spokesperson Mustapha Baytas defended the government’s response, saying every effort was being made on the ground.

The army said it was reinforcing search-and-rescue teams, providing drinking water and distributing food, tents and blankets.

King Mohammed VI has not addressed the nation since the disaster. Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch told local media the government would compensate victims, but gave few details.

Morocco has accepted offers of aid from Spain and Britain, which both sent search-and-rescue specialists with sniffer dogs, from the United Arab Emirates, and from Qatar, which said on Sunday a search-and-rescue team was on its way.

The European Union said it was releasing an initial 1 million euros ($1.07 million) to non-governmental aid organisations in Morocco.

State TV said the government had assessed needs and considered the importance of coordinating relief efforts before accepting help, and that it might accept relief offers from other countries later.

Both France and Germany played down the significance of Morocco not immediately taking them up on their offers of aid, saying they did not see it as political.

Damage to heritage as Morocco quake death toll nears 2,700

Monday 11 September 2023 22:20 , Eleanor Noyce

After an initial response that was described as too slow by some survivors, search and rescue efforts appeared to be speeding up on Monday, with tent camps appearing in some locations where people were preparing for a fourth night outdoors.

A video filmed by Moroccan outlet 2M showed a military helicopter flying over an area close to the epicentre, dropping sacks of essential supplies to isolated families.

With much of the quake zone in hard-to-reach areas, the authorities have not issued any estimates for the number of people missing.

Roads blocked or obstructed by rocks that tumbled down the steep slopes during the quake have made it harder to access the worst-hit locations. Heavy machinery has been brought in to clear roads only for subsequent rockfalls to block them again.

The harm done to Morocco‘s cultural heritage has been emerging gradually. Buildings in Marrakech old city, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, were damaged. The quake also did major damage to the historically significant 12th-century Tinmel Mosque.

Residents in Tinmel, a remote village closer to the epicentre where 15 people were killed, said they had been sharing food, water and medicine, but desperately needed tents and blankets to shelter from the cold mountain nights.

The mother of a 15-day-old child said she need milk formula and medicine for her baby.

ICYMI: British tourists had to sleep on streets after Morocco earthquake, husband says

Monday 11 September 2023 21:21 , Eleanor Noyce

Two British tourists slept on the streets of a village in the Atlas mountains – unable to contact their families following a devastating earthquake in Morocco, one of their husbands has said.

Rebecca Calvert, 63, and friend Hilary Mckegney, 64, had just arrived in the remote village of Imlil in the Atlas Mountains to go on a hiking trip when the earthquake struck.

The magnitude 6.8 tremor late on Friday damaged buildings from villages in the Atlas Mountains to the historic city of Marrakesh.

Jacob Phillips reports:

British tourists had to sleep on streets after Morocco earthquake, husband says

Watch: Moment deadly earthquake strikes busy Marrakech street captured on CCTV

Monday 11 September 2023 20:20 , Eleanor Noyce

CCTV has captured the moment a deadly earthquake struck a busy Marrakech street late on Friday 8 September.

The footage shows the ground shaking before people run for cover as buildings and debris crumble from the force of the tremors.

The 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck in Morocco’s Atlas Mountains, around 40 miles south of the ancient city of Marrakech, and has killed at least 2,100 people so far.

Another 2,500 people are injured with most of the casualties reported to be in hard-to-reach areas.

UK justice secretary Alex Chalk has said Britain stands “ready to provide whatever assistance is required”.

Watch: Moment deadly earthquake strikes busy Marrakech street captured on CCTV

Ireland pledges €2 million in relief aid to Morocco

Monday 11 September 2023 19:20 , Eleanor Noyce

The Irish government has pledged two million euro in relief aid to Morocco in the wake of Friday’s devastating earthquake.

More than 2,400 people are now estimated to have died, with a further 300,000 people impacted in the magnitude 6.8 earthquake that reduced buildings to rubble across the country.

Moroccan officials have so far accepted government-offered aid from just four countries - Spain, Qatar, the UK and the United Arab Emirates.

The two million euro of Irish Aid support to the people of Morocco will assist the work of the International Federation of the Red Cross (IFRC) and the Moroccan Red Crescent Society (MRCS) - who are helping in the local humanitarian response efforts.

A statement from the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said the funds “will support immediate and urgent humanitarian needs on the ground”.

“The funds will support local communities most affected through the provision of emergency shelter, clean drinking water and food, mobile health care including psychological support, and hygiene centres through support of the local response by the Moroccan Red Crescent,” the statement read.

Evacuations are under way and it is expected that thousands of people will be temporarily displaced in the region.

Announcing the funding this morning, the Tanaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheal Martin said Ireland stands in solidarity with the people of Morocco.

“I was shocked and saddened to learn of this devastating earthquake. My thoughts are with all those who have lost loved ones, the injured and emergency responders,” he said.

“The destruction, particularly in remote areas, will place extraordinary pressure on vulnerable groups and pose significant challenges to rescuers. Ireland stands in solidarity with the people of Morocco and will provide immediate emergency humanitarian assistance.

“Funding from Ireland will support a locally led response and provide assistance to those most impacted by this disaster.”

Minister for International Development and Diaspora, Sean Fleming TD, said the funding would “play an important role in the rebuilding of lives and communities in Morocco following the devastating earthquake”.

“Ireland has a proud record of responding quickly to support partners around the world when disasters strike. Our thoughts are with all the families who have lost loved ones,” he said.

“This humanitarian funding is a sign of Ireland’s support and solidarity with them at this time.”

Morocco's decision to forgo German quake aid not political - foreign ministry

Monday 11 September 2023 19:00 , Eleanor Noyce

Germany does not see any indications that Morocco’s decision to leave Berlin’s earthquake aid offerings on the table is political, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday.

“Diplomatic relations between Germany and Morocco are good,” said the spokesperson, who added that the Moroccan side had thanked Germany for its offer of help.

As Germany learned from deadly flooding in 2021 in the Ahr valley, aid coordination is important during major disasters to ensure rescue workers do not impede each other, said the spokesperson.

“I’m sure that they (Morocco) have thought very carefully about which forces can be deployed where and how they can get there, what transport capacities are available, for example.”

Germany is among several countries, notably France, that have said they stand ready to help if asked.

Morocco’s King Mohammed VI on Sunday thanked Spain, Qatar, the UK and United Arab Emirates for sending aid after the country’s deadliest earthquake in over six decades, state TV reported.

Morocco earthquake damages historic mountain mosque

Monday 11 September 2023 18:40 , Eleanor Noyce

Morocco’s deadly earthquake badly damaged one of the most important historical sites in the High Atlas mountains, an earth-and-stone mosque built by a medieval dynasty that conquered North Africa and Spain.

Moroccan media reported that parts of the Tinmel Mosque had collapsed. Photographs circulating online, which Reuters could not immediately verify, showed tumbled walls, a half-fallen tower and large piles of debris.

Responding to a Reuters question about the reported damage to Tinmel, a Moroccan Culture Ministry source said “the ministry has decided to restore it and will make budget for it”, without giving details.

The 12th-century mosque was built where the Almohad dynasty established its first capital in a remote Atlas valley before going on to seize Marrakech, proclaim its leader Caliph, and march on across the region propelled by religious zeal.

The United Nations cultural agency UNESCO said it had heard of “very important destructions to the Tinmel Mosque”, which it added had been proposed for listing as a World Heritage site, but added it was still waiting to send a team to assess the damage.

How search and rescue teams comb debris for survivors after devastating earthquakes

Monday 11 September 2023 18:15 , Eleanor Noyce

When earthquakes strike urban areas, the process of finding those who may be buried beneath collapsed buildings begins. Speed is essential as people trapped in the rubble often struggle to survive for longer than a few days. And the area hit by the disaster can be vast.

Wide area assessment

A preliminary survey of the affected area is often carried out by local emergency teams while additional help arrives. The destruction may just involve one city, or it may encompass a large area involving numerous towns across more than one country, as with the latest quake. Teams conducting the initial visual assessment remain mobile - travelling quickly by air or road, if the infrastructure permits - and don’t engage in rescue operations.

The survey helps to identify possible resources and hazards, as well as the main priorities for search and rescue teams. The disaster area is often then drawn into sectors to allocate command and to assign search teams.

Worksite triage

This assessment identifies viable live rescue sites in an allocated sector. The command centre uses this information to prioritise rescue sites and decide which teams to deploy where. Emergency teams aim to assess the entire sector as quickly as possible.

At each site, rescuers seek to gather essential information such as building size, type of construction materials and the “building collapse category”, aimed at classifying the different types of damage and danger.

Rapid search and rescue

In the early stages of a major earthquake response, when a large number of sites need checking, emergency teams conduct rapid searches to maximise the opportunities for saving lives. Teams are usually done at a site within a few hours, then move to the next.

Rescuers can use this stage to identify sites where a deeper search could be worthwhile. Specially trained dogs can be used to sniff out signs of life, moving quickly in the rubble.

Sound signalling

In major disasters - such as the 2021 temblor in the Caribbean nation of Haiti - where teams from many countries are present, language barriers mean that effective emergency signalling is essential for safe operations at the disaster site. All emergency personnel must know how to react to the sound signals, usually from air horns or other hailing devices.

Morocco's mud brick housing makes hunt for earthquake survivors harder

Monday 11 September 2023 17:45 , Eleanor Noyce

Rescuers digging through the rubble after Morocco‘s deadly earthquake warned on Monday that the traditional mud brick, stone and rough wood housing ubiquitous in the High Atlas mountains reduced the chances of finding survivors.

“It’s difficult to pull people out alive because most of the walls and ceilings turned to earthen rubble when they fell, burying whoever was inside without leaving air spaces,” a military rescue worker, asking not to be named because of army rules against speaking to media, said at an army centre south of the historic city of Marrakech not far from the quake epicentre.

Morocco‘s most powerful earthquake since at least 1900 has killed at least 2,681 people, state TV said in the latest update of the human toll on Monday, with thousands more injured and many still missing.

The traditional homes, sometimes hundreds of years old, sometimes built more recently, have long been a popular sight for tourists travelling to the mountain from Marrakech.

They are often built by the families themselves to a traditional pattern, without any architect’s help and with extensions added when they can.

With no major earthquakes for a long time, few people would have thought to consider the risk of a tremor. But structures crumbled easily in mounds of debris when the quake struck late on Friday.

“The level of destruction is ... absolute,” Antonio Nogales, head of Spain’s United Firefighters Without Borders NGO said, speaking from Amizmiz, south of Marrakech, which was hard hit by the earthquake.

“The chances of survival are reduced” without the pockets of air that steel-and-concrete buildings can provide if they collapse, he said, while stressing that rescuers had not lost all hope.

“We never give up, I’m sure that in the coming days there will be some rescues. We think that there may still be people in the collapsed structures, that there may have been pockets of air.”

Even concrete homes or buildings often lack anti-seismic design, experts said, leaving survivors and rescuers to sift through mounds of rubble where homes once stood.

“When you just have the gravity load work, it’s fine, but with the pressure of an earthquake they can crumble basically like mud and dirt,” said Mo Ehsani, professor emeritus of civil engineering at the University of Arizona.

Race against time to find survivors of Morocco earthquake as death toll nears 2,700

Monday 11 September 2023 17:25 , Eleanor Noyce

Rescuers face a race against time to find survivors of the deadly earthquake in Morocco, with international search and rescue arriving to help the search almost 72 hours after the disaster.

The earthquake, Morocco’s deadliest in more than six decades, has claimed the lives of nearly 2,700 people and a similar number of wounded, many of them seriously.

Search teams from Britain, Spain and Qatar have joined efforts to find people buried under the rubble, including some of the remote villages in the High Atlas Mountains close to the epicentre of the quake.

Jamie Dorrington has more:

Race against time to find survivors of Morocco earthquake as death toll nears 2,700

‘I know I’m lucky to be alive’: Morocco travel insider says country will rebuild tourism in wake of earthquake

Monday 11 September 2023 17:00 , Matt Mathers

The British man who has done more than anyone else to build tourism in Morocco’s Atlas Mountains says he is “lucky to be alive” after he was caught up in Friday’s catastrophic earthquake.

But some students attending the schools in the area he helped to establish have died.

Simon Calder reports:

‘I’m lucky to be alive’: Morocco travel insider says country will rebuild tourism

Death toll reaches 2,681 as injuries rise to 2,501 - state TV

Monday 11 September 2023 16:42 , Eleanor Noyce

Following Morocco‘s deadliest earthquake in more than six decades, state TV has stated the death toll has reached 2,681. Injuries have also risen to 2,501.

Moroccan soldiers and aid teams in trucks and helicopters battled on Monday to reach remote mountain towns devastated by the monstrous earthquake, with survivors desperate for help to find loved ones feared trapped under the rubble.

About to return to school, Moroccan boy killed as he slept

Monday 11 September 2023 16:38 , Eleanor Noyce

About to return to school, seven-year-old Suleiman Aytnasr had been carried to his bedroom to ensure a good night’s rest after he had fallen asleep in the living room. As he slept, a powerful earthquake brought down the ceiling.

The boy’s father, Brahim, 41, had been praying when the 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck their hamlet on the outskirts of Talat N’Yaaqoub, one of the areas hardest hit by the disaster that has killed some 2,500 people in Morocco.

Brahim said he desperately sought to gather his family. His two elder sons, who were upstairs, had to climb through the collapsed kitchen ceiling to reach their parents and a cousin whom Brahim is raising. But Brahim was unable to reach Suleiman.

His wife had told him to listen for any sound that would indicate their son was still alive.

After hearing no sound through the rubble, he said he knew his son was dead. Brahim would later retrieve Suleiman’s body with the help of family members.

“He’s gone,” Brahim said. “We thank God that our other sons are still alive.”

Suleiman’s brother, Mouath, 20, wiped away tears as he spoke about the tragedy, standing in the spot where the living room had once stood. He described Suleiman as playful and a lover of nature.

Located some 72 km (45 miles) south of Marrakech in the High Atlas Mountains and near the epicentre of the earthquake, many of the houses in the hamlet had been pulverised.

Boulders have blocked roads, making it difficult for rescue workers to reach the area. Heavy machinery has been used to clear roads, only for subsequent rockfall to block them again.

Brahim said he had helped rescue six neighbours buried under the rubble the night of the earthquake and pulled out several dead bodies. Many people in the hamlet had been killed, he said.

“There is a lot of suffering but we thank God for everything,” he said. “God can make everything right again. We haven’t lost hope.”

Brahim, who moved to the hamlet in 2000, said he planned to stay and rebuild. He urged the authorities and charities to provide assistance to help them rebuild their lives.

On Monday, the Moroccan army briefly visited Brahim’s hamlet, surveying the damage as helicopters flew over.

Morocco mourns its earthquake victims as the search for survivors goes on

Monday 11 September 2023 16:30 , Matt Mathers

Survivors of Morocco’s deadliest earthquake in decades are struggling to find food and shelter as the search goes on for those missing and the death toll rises.

Relief workers face the challenge of reaching areas in the High Atlas, a rugged mountain range where settlements are often remote and where many houses crumbled. In the badly-hit village of Amizmiz, residents watched as rescuers used a mechanical digger on a collapsed house.

“They are looking for a man and his son. One of them might still be alive,” said Hassan Halouch, a retired builder. The team eventually recovered only bodies.

Chris Stevenson reports:

Morocco mourns its earthquake victims as the search for survivors goes on

Morocco’s decision to forgo German quake aid not political - foreign ministry

Monday 11 September 2023 15:54 , Matt Mathers

Germany does not see any indications that Morocco’s decision to leave Berlin’s earthquake aid offerings on the table is political, a foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday.

"Diplomatic relations between Germany and Morocco are good," said the spokesperson, who added that the Moroccan side had thanked Germany for its offer of help.

As Germany learned from deadly flooding in 2021 in the Ahr valley, aid coordination is important during major disasters to ensure rescue workers do not impede each other, said the spokesperson.

"I’m sure that they (Morocco) have thought very carefully about which forces can be deployed where and how they can get there, what transport capacities are available, for example."

Germany is among several countries, notably France, that have said they stand ready to help if asked.

Which countries are helping Morocco?

Monday 11 September 2023 15:30 , Matt Mathers

Morocco had accepted offers of aid from Spain and Britain, which both sent search-and-rescue specialists with sniffer dogs, from the United Arab Emirates, and from Qatar, which said on Sunday a search-and-rescue team was on its way.

The European Union said it was releasing an initial 1 million euros ($1.07 million) to non-governmental aid organisations in Morocco.

State TV said the government had assessed needs and considered the importance of coordinating relief efforts before accepting help, and that it might accept relief offers from other countries later.

Both France and Germany played down the significance of Morocco not immediately taking them up on their offers of aid.

Germany said on Monday it saw no indication that the decision was political, while France said on Sunday it stood ready to help whenever Morocco made a formal request and any controversy on the issue was "misplaced".

Paris and Rabat have had a difficult relationship in recent years notably over the issue of Western Sahara, a disputed territory that Morocco wants France to recognise as Moroccan. Morocco has not had an ambassador in Paris since January.

ICYMI: Moroccan national footballers donate blood to help earthquake victims

Monday 11 September 2023 14:37 , Eleanor Noyce

Morocco’s national football players donated blood at a medical centre in Agadir city on Saturday (9 September) after a 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck the country.

More than 2,100 people are confirmed to have died and thousands have been injured after the earthquake on Friday according to the country’s interior ministry.

Morocco had been scheduled to play Liberia in a qualifying game for the African Cup of Nations but the game was postponed indefinitely.

West Ham defender Nayef Aguerd said: “Our first duty is to make Moroccans happy, and also to be on their side when something like this happens.”

‘I know I’m lucky to be alive’: Morocco travel insider says country will rebuild tourism in wake of earthquake

Monday 11 September 2023 14:17 , Eleanor Noyce

The British man who has done more than anyone else to build tourism in Morocco’s Atlas Mountains says he is “lucky to be alive” after he was caught up in Friday’s catastrophic earthquake.

But some students attending the schools in the area he helped to establish have died.

Mike McHugo is a visionary entrepreneur who transformed an ancient fort 60km south of Marrakech into a sought-after eco-lodge known as the Kasbah du Toubkal. It is located in the foothills of North Africa’s highest mountain, Toubkal, above the village of Imlil.

Exclusive: Mike McHugo founded a charity for girls’ education in the region, and fears for the lives of children who attended the schools:

‘I’m lucky to be alive’: Morocco travel insider says country will rebuild tourism

Morocco travel advice: Is it safe to travel to Marrakech right now?

Monday 11 September 2023 14:00 , Matt Mathers

Yes, and a large number of UK flights have arrived and departed since the earthquake, including British Airways, easyJet and Tui from London Gatwick, easyJet from Luton, Ryanair from London Stansted and Tui from Birmingham and Manchester.

On Saturday both British Airways and easyJet deployed larger aircraft on their flights to London in order to accommodate passengers who wanted to come home early.

All other airports in Morocco are running normally.

Simon Calder reports:

Morocco earthquake: Is it safe to travel at the moment?

ICYMI: Watch: Moment deadly earthquake strikes busy Marrakech street captured on CCTV

Monday 11 September 2023 13:53 , Eleanor Noyce

CCTV has captured the moment a deadly earthquake struck a busy Marrakech street late on Friday 8 September.

The footage shows the ground shaking before people run for cover as buildings and debris crumble from the force of the tremors.

The 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck in Morocco’s Atlas Mountains, around 40 miles south of the ancient city of Marrakech, and has killed at least 2,100 people so far.

Another 2,500 people are injured with most of the casualties reported to be in hard-to-reach areas.

UK justice secretary Alex Chalk has said Britain stands “ready to provide whatever assistance is required”.

Watch: Moment deadly earthquake strikes busy Marrakech street captured on CCTV

Moroccan soldiers and aid teams battle to reach remote, quake-hit towns as toll rises past 2,400

Monday 11 September 2023 13:20 , Matt Mathers

Moroccan soldiers and aid teams in trucks and helicopters battled Monday to reach remote mountain towns devastated by a monstrous earthquake that killed more than 2,400 people, with survivors desperate for help to find loved ones feared trapped under the rubble.

Moroccan officials have so far accepted government-offered aid from just four countries — Spain, Qatar, Britain and the United Arab Emirates — and some foreign aid teams said they were awaiting permission to deploy. Morocco’s Interior Ministry says officials want to avoid a lack of coordination that “would be counterproductive.”

Full report:

Moroccan soldiers and aid teams battle to reach remote, quake-hit towns as toll rises past 2,400

Morocco’s mud brick housing makes hunt for earthquake survivors harder

Monday 11 September 2023 12:48 , Matt Mathers

Rescuers digging on Monday through the rubble after Morocco’s deadly earthquake warned that the traditional mud brick, stone and rough wood housing omnipresent in the High Atlas mountains reduced the chances of finding survivors.

"It’s difficult to pull people out alive because most of the walls and ceilings turned to earthen rubble when they fell, burying whoever was inside without leaving air spaces," a military rescue worker, asking not to be named because of army rules against speaking to media, said at an army centre south of the historic city of Marrakech not far from the quake epicentre.

Morocco’s most powerful earthquake since at least 1900 has killed at least 2,497 people, the state news agency said in its latest update of the human toll on Monday, with thousands more injured and many still missing.

With many homes fashioned out of mud bricks and timber or cement and breeze blocks, structures crumbled easily in mounds of debris when the quake struck late on Friday evening, without creating the pockets of air that earthquake-ready concrete buildings can provide.

Death toll rises to nearly 2,500

Monday 11 September 2023 12:18 , Matt Mathers

The death toll from the earthquake has risen to nearly 2,500, officials have said.

The Moroccan Armed Forces said on X, formerly Twitter, that the death as of Monday AM was 2,497.

Some 2,476 have been injured.

Recap: what areas of Morocco are worst-hit by quake?

Monday 11 September 2023 12:10 , Matt Mathers

The epicenter was high in the Atlas Mountains about 70 kilometers (44 miles) south of Marrakech in Al Haouz province.

The region is largely rural, made up of red-rock mountains, picturesque gorges and glistening streams and lakes.

The earthquake shook most of Morocco and caused injury and death in other provinces, including Marrakech, Taroudant and Chichaoua.

Of the 2,122 deaths reported as of Sunday evening, 1,351 were in Al Haouz, a region with a population of around 570,000, according to Morocco’s 2014 census.

People speak a combination of Arabic and Tachelhit, Morroco’s most common Indigenous language. Villages of clay and mud brick built into mountainsides have been destroyed.

Monday 11 September 2023 11:01 , Chris Stevenson

Here are some of the latest images from Morocco:

France ‘ready to help'

Monday 11 September 2023 10:40 , Chris Stevenson

France's foreign minister has said it is up to Morocco whether to seek French aid that the country is ready to help if asked.

Paris and Rabat have had a difficult relationship in recent years notably over the issue of Western Sahara, which Morocco wants France to recognise as Moroccan. Morocco has not had an envoy in Paris since January.

"This is a misplaced controversy," Catherine Colonna told BFM television when asked why Morocco had not made an official request to Paris for urgent assistance despite accepting help from Spain, Britain, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

"We are ready to help Morocco. It's a sovereign Moroccan decision and it's up to them to decide," she said.

Rescuers race to find survivors

Monday 11 September 2023 10:19 , Chris Stevenson

Rescuers continue to dig to find survivors in the rubble more than 48 hours after Morocco's deadliest earthquake in more than six decades.

Search teams from Spain and Britain are joining efforts to find survivors of the 6.8 magnitude quake that struck late on Friday night 40 miles (70km) southwest of Marrakech.

Search-and-rescue specialists with sniffer dogs have been sent by Britain and Spain. For its part, Qatar said on Sunday its search-and-rescue team departed for Morocco.

Morocco travel advice: Is it safe to travel to Marrakech right now?

Monday 11 September 2023 07:15 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The death toll is rising following a catastrophic earthquake in Morocco late at night on Friday 8 September. More than 2,000 people have been killed and injured after the 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck.

The epicentre was about 70km (43 miles) southwest of Marrakech – the fourth-biggest city in Morocco, and by far the most popular draw for international visitors.

Thousands of British holidaymakers are in the area, with many thousands more booked to go there during September. This is the travel picture.

Morocco earthquake: Is it safe to travel at the moment?

ICYMI: Morocco mourns its earthquake victims as the search for survivors goes on

Monday 11 September 2023 07:00 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Survivors of Morocco’s deadliest earthquake in decades are struggling to find food and shelter as the search goes on for those missing and the death toll rises.

The number of dead is now more than 2,122, with another 2,421 injured. Those totals are likely to increase as rescue workers and residents dig through the rubble. Many people on Sunday were preparing to spend a third night in the open after the near-7 magnitude earthquake hit late on Friday. The quake’s epicentre was around 70km (40 miles) southwest of Marrakech.

Relief workers face the challenge of reaching areas in the High Atlas, a rugged mountain range where settlements are often remote and where many houses crumbled. In the badly-hit village of Amizmiz, residents watched as rescuers used a mechanical digger on a collapsed house. “They are looking for a man and his son. One of them might still be alive,” said Hassan Halouch, a retired builder. The team eventually recovered only bodies.

Morocco mourns its earthquake victims as the search for survivors goes on

Concern over aid reaching remote villages

Monday 11 September 2023 06:52 , Maroosha Muzaffar

As the country mourns the loss of life after the devastating earthquake that killed more than 2000, there is now concern among experts over humanitarian aid reaching the more remote parts of the country.

Samia Errazzouki, an expert in the history and governance of the Moroccan state at Stanford University in California, told the Guardian: “Roads and access to this region [a village near the foot of the Atlas mountains] are already difficult, before you compound that with difficulties like rubble or problems with the roads. It’s going to take a miracle to get immediate aid there.”

“These regions have historically been hit with earthquakes, but they have also been marginalised,” Ms Errazzouki said.

“Obviously we can’t prevent earthquakes, and loss of life is unfortunately inevitable with something of this magnitude. But what can be controlled is how we respond to it and how we deal with it. It takes a crisis, a disaster like this to shed light on the day-to-day realities of people who live in the margins.”

Need for psychological support for survivors

Monday 11 September 2023 06:45 , Maroosha Muzaffar

There is a need for psychological support for the survivors of the devastating earthquake, a psychiatrist told Moroccon state broadcaster 2M.

Omar Battas, a psychiatrist and professor at the Faculty of Medicine in Casablanca told the news host that there is a strong need to strengthen psychological support for survivors of the Moroccon tragedy.

More than 2,000 people have been killed in the earthquake and of the 2,059 injured, more than 1,400 are said to be seriously hurt, according to Morocco’s Interior Ministry.

“We are looking at many months if not several years of response,” Hossam Elsharkawi, the Red Cross Middle East and North Africa director said.

Warning aftershocks will keep hitting Morocco

Monday 11 September 2023 06:27 , Maroosha Muzaffar

Aftershocks will continue to rock Morocco even weeks or months after the earthquake that killed more than 2,000, a seismological expert has warned.

Remy Mossu, the director of the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre, told Sky News that more than 25 aftershocks have already hit the country since the 6.8 magnitude earthquake.

“There will be aftershocks. It is not probably, it is a certainty,” he said.

“They will keep going for days and weeks, but we don’t know how many or how big they will be. In a few months, we may still have aftershocks from time to time, this won’t be surprising.”

He warned that it is “extremely difficult” for civilians to re-enter buildings given the uncertainty.

Mapped: Morocco earthquake that killed over 2,000 and levelled buildings in Marrakech

Monday 11 September 2023 06:15 , Maroosha Muzaffar

The Morocco earthquake that has killed more than 2,000 people was the strongest to hit the north African nation in several decades.

The earthquake struck just after 11pm on Friday and has impacted the entire region, with tremors being felt thousands of miles away in Portugal and Algeria.

The quake’s epicentre is in the middle of the country and located at the High Atlas Mountains in the Ighil area, about 40 miles (70km) south of Marrakech.

Morocco earthquake that killed over 2,000 is north Africa’s most powerful in decades

Watch: Moment deadly earthquake strikes busy Marrakech street captured on CCTV

Monday 11 September 2023 05:58 , Maroosha Muzaffar

CCTV has captured the moment a deadly earthquake struck a busy Marrakech street late on Friday 8 September.

The footage shows the ground shaking before people run for cover as buildings and debris crumble from the force of the tremors.

The 7.2-magnitude earthquake struck in Morocco’s Atlas Mountains, around 40 miles south of the ancient city of Marrakech, and has killed at least 2,100 people so far.

Another 2,500 people are injured with most of the casualties reported to be in hard-to-reach areas.

UK justice secretary Alex Chalk has said Britain stands “ready to provide whatever assistance is required”.

Watch: Moment deadly earthquake strikes busy Marrakech street captured on CCTV