Dream - "I have lost everything," said Lahcen, 40 years old, a resident of Moulay Brahim Village, while sitting with his head bowed and his body curled up in pain. The rescue team has not yet found the bodies of his wife and son from the remains of their house on Saturday. One day after the earthquake shook the High Atlas Mountains, on Friday, just before midnight, September 8, 2023. The bodies of their three daughters have been found from the rubble. "I can't do anything right now, I just want to distance myself from the world and mourn," he said. Moulay Brahim Village is about 70 kilometers away from Marrakesh, a popular tourist destination.

Houda Outassaf said that she is still shocked after the earthquake. "At least 10 members of my family died... I find it hard to believe, because I was with them just two days ago," she said.***A powerful earthquake, which rarely happens, struck Morocco, occurring just before midnight. The earthquake caused people to flee from their beds onto the streets and destroyed buildings in mountain villages and ancient cities that were not built to withstand such force.

Nearly 3,000 people have died and more than 5,000 have been injured, and the number of victims is expected to increase as rescue teams struggle to reach remote areas most affected. The 6.8 Richter Scale earthquake, the largest to hit the North African country in the last 120 years, caused people to leave their homes out of fear and disbelief in the tragedy that occurred on Friday night. A man said that plates and wall decorations started falling, and people fell down. The earthquake toppled walls made of stone and brick, covering the entire village with debris.

"Devastation also struck every city along the steep and winding trails of the High Atlas in the same way: houses crumbled and mothers and fathers cried as boys and police wearing helmets carried the dead on the streets. Remote villages like in the Ouargane Valley, mostly disconnected from the world when they lost electricity and mobile phone services due to drought, were cut off. At noon, people were already outside their mourning neighbors' houses, observing the damage with their mobile cameras and saying to each other, 'May God save us.'"

Hamid Idsalah, a 72-year-old mountain guide, said that he and many others are still alive but do not have the expected future. This happens in the short term - with the remnants of his kitchen becoming dust - and in the long term - when he and many others do not have the financial ability to recover. "I can't rebuild my house. I don't know what I will do. Nevertheless, I am still alive, so I will wait," he said as he walked through the desert oasis town facing the red rock hills, a herd of goats, and a shimmering salt lake. "I feel sad."

In historic Marrakesh, people are seen on government TV crowding the streets, afraid to return to buildings that may still be unstable. The famous Koutoubia Mosque in the city, built in the 12th century, is damaged, but its extent is still unclear. The 69-meter tower known as the "Marrakesh roof" is also known. Moroccan citizens also upload videos showing damage to the famous red walls surrounding the old city, a UNESCO World Heritage site. As the rescue operation continues, the number of casualties from the earthquake centered in Al Haouz continues to rise.

Until Wednesday night, September 13, 2023, the number of fatalities reached 2,946 people, while the number of injured increased to 5,674 people. In its statement, the Ministry of the Interior stated that the death toll reached 1,684 in the Al Haouz region and 980 in the Taroudant region. There were no new fatalities recorded in the remaining provinces and regions affected by the deadly earthquake. Aid continues to flow to the affected areas as rescue operations are now focused on reaching remote areas. Reports indicate that authorities have successfully unblocked some roads, allowing aid to reach villages that have been cut off since the earthquake occurred on Friday night.

Since the start of the rescue operation, several public and private institutions have contributed to the rescue efforts. Volunteers and rescue teams from partner countries such as Spain, Qatar, and England have united their efforts to offer humanitarian assistance to the families affected by the earthquake. "The problem is that when a powerful earthquake rarely occurs, buildings are not constructed strong enough to withstand strong ground shaking, resulting in many buildings collapsing and causing many casualties," said Bill McGuire, emeritus professor of geophysical and climate hazards at University College London.

As a sign of the magnitude of the disaster, King Mohammed VI of Morocco has ordered the armed forces to mobilize specialized search and rescue teams as well as field surgical hospitals, according to a statement from the military. The King said he will visit the most affected areas, but despite many offers of assistance from around the world, the Moroccan government has not officially requested aid, a necessary step before external rescue crews can be deployed. The epicenter of the earthquake on Friday was near the town of Ighil in the Al Haouz Province, about 70 kilometers south of Marrakesh. Al Haouz is known for its beautiful villages and valleys located in the High Atlas Mountains.

Police, emergency vehicles, and people fleeing by taxi spent hours crossing unpaved roads through the High Atlas in stop-and-go traffic, often getting out of their cars to help clear large rocks from the known steep and difficult route long before the earthquake occurred on Friday night. In Ijjoukak, a village in the vicinity of Toubkal, the highest peak in North Africa, residents estimate that nearly 200 buildings have been leveled to the ground.

Sofa cushions, electrical cables, and grapes are scattered in a pile of giant debris next to the carcass of a sheep, potted plants, and a door wedged between large rocks. Relatives from the city and those traveling from large cities cry as they wonder who to contact because they consider the bad impact and the shortage of food and water. "It feels like a bomb exploded," said Mohamed Messi, 34 years old. Morocco will commemorate three days of national mourning with flags at half-mast in all public facilities, the official news agency MAP reported.

World leaders offer to send aid or rescue teams as a gesture of condolences flowing from countries in Europe, the Middle East, and the G20 Summit in India. The President of Turkey, who lost tens of thousands of people due to a major earthquake earlier this year, is among those proposing assistance. France and Germany, with a large population of Moroccan origin, also offer aid. In an extraordinary step, their neighboring country, Algeria, offers to open its airspace so that humanitarian aid or medical evacuation flights can travel to and from Morocco.

Algeria closed its airspace when its government decided to sever diplomatic relations with Morocco in 2021 due to a series of issues. Both countries have had disputes for decades involving the Western Sahara region. The US Geological Survey said the earthquake had an initial magnitude of 6.8 on the Richter scale when it occurred at 23:11 local time (22:11 GMT), with shaking lasting for several seconds. The Geological Survey reported an aftershock with a magnitude of 4.9 occurring 19 minutes later. The collision of the African and Eurasian tectonic plates occurred at a relatively shallow depth, making the earthquake more dangerous. Earthquakes are relatively rare in North Africa.

Lahcen Mhanni, Head of the Seismic Monitoring and Warning Department at the National Institute of Geophysics, stated that the earthquake is the strongest ever recorded in the region. In 1960, a 5.8 magnitude Richter scale earthquake struck near the city of Agadir in Morocco, causing thousands of deaths. The earthquake prompted changes in construction regulations in Morocco, but many buildings, especially rural houses, were not built to withstand such shaking. In 2004, a 6.4 magnitude Richter scale earthquake near the coastal city of Al Hoceima in the Mediterranean caused more than 600 deaths.

Earthquake on Friday was felt as far as Portugal and Algeria. It became the deadliest earthquake in Morocco in several decades. Authorities have announced three days of national mourning, while rescue teams continue to search for victims.***The epicenter of the earthquake was in the High Atlas Mountains of Morocco, about 74 kilometers southeast of Marrakesh. The Moroccan government has declared a three-day mourning period after the region was hit by the earthquake. In addition to causing casualties, several historical buildings in Marrakesh, Morocco were heavily damaged and partially collapsed, as reported by CNN.

To be known, Marrakesh is an old city in Morocco, so many historical buildings are found in this area. Marrakesh has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1985. According to the World Heritage Convention UNESCO website, the city was founded in 1070-1072 by the Almoravid Dynasty, and it became a center of politics, economy, and culture for a long period of time. Marrakesh had a strong influence on a number of Muslim countries in the world, from North Africa to Andalusia. In addition, the city has several impressive historical buildings that are remnants of the Almoravid Dynasty, such as Bahia Palace, Ben Youssef Madrasa, Marrakesh Museum, Djemaa El Fna, Saadian Tombs, and so on.

The fourth largest city in Morocco, Marrakesh, is one of the popular tourist destinations in the country. Marrakesh is nicknamed as the Red City because the majority of buildings in the old city are made of red bricks. Professor Emeritus Bill McGuire from University College London, England, stated, "When rare massive earthquakes occur, buildings are not constructed strong enough... resulting in many collapses and causing numerous casualties." These earthquakes are usually more devastating than shallow earthquakes with a depth of 18.5 km. According to the US Geological Survey, this is the deadliest earthquake in Morocco since 1960, when 12,000 people died.

"This area is full of old and historical buildings, most of which are made of stone. The collapsed reinforced concrete structures are old or below standard," said Mohammad Kashani, a professor of structural engineering and earthquakes at the University of Southampton. Marrakesh suffered the most severe damage as it is located near the earthquake source and has many old buildings that are prone to collapse due to the shaking caused by the already damaged structures. Ouarzazate, Essaouira, Safi, Agadir, Casablanca, and Errachidia are major cities that were significantly affected by the earthquake around Marrakesh. ***"

Seismologist or earthquake expert Richard Walker from the University of Oxford said there are several factors that caused the deadly earthquake in Morocco on Friday, September 8, 2023. "This earthquake occurred in an area with a relatively large population and buildings that are vulnerable to earthquake shaking. So, the construction of the buildings is typical of rural areas that use unreinforced bricks," he explained. "Another important fact is that the earthquake occurred at night, after 11 PM local time, when people were at home and already sleeping. So, many people were trapped in the rubble," he added.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said that there has never been an earthquake stronger than magnitude 6.0 within a 500-kilometer radius of the earthquake's epicenter on that Friday, at least in the past century. Over 60 years ago, the west coast of Morocco was also struck by a magnitude 5.8 earthquake that killed more than 12,000 people and destroyed the city of Agadir in southwest Marrakesh. This disaster later led to changes in building regulations in Morocco. However, there are still many buildings that are not earthquake-resistant, especially rural houses.

The United Nations (UN) estimates that 300,000 people are affected by the earthquake. Riding trucks and helicopters, Moroccan soldiers and SAR teams are currently struggling to reach the remote mountain towns that were destroyed by the devastating earthquake that killed nearly 3,000 people. The Moroccan earthquake is therefore a humanitarian tragedy. A world tragedy. When the victims lose their homes. And also their family members. The latter cannot be replaced by anything. Our condolences to Morocco... (eha) Source: Morroco World News, Time, Washington Post, BBC, CNN, Guardian.