Hundreds sleep in the streets of Marrakech for fear of aftershocks after the earthquake in Morocco

The buildings of public institutions and some hotels in Marrakeshin the south of Moroccohave had their flags at half-mast since this Sunday to observe the three-day mourning decreed after the earthquake that shook the country on Friday night.

The streets of Marrakeshwhere there are people who continue to sleep outdoors for fear of aftershocks, woke up with the still visible consequences of the 7 magnitude earthquake that hit this region especially and whose provisional count of victims is 2,012 dead and 2,059 injured, some figures that do not stop increasing.

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Apart from the damage to buildings, especially in the medina (old city), the consequences of the earthquake are still visible because there are citizens of the city who prefer to continue sleeping in the streets and parks for fear of possible aftershocks.

Residents remain in a square in Marrakech on September 9, 2023, after an earthquake. (Photo by FADEL SENNA / AFP) (FADEL SENNA/)

This is the case of a family camped in the small park in front of the city’s City Hall headquarters, whose flag was also displayed at half-mast and an official took out packages of blankets to distribute to the population.

There are still tourists in what is known as the ocher city, the pearl of Moroccan tourism, but according to hoteliers and taxi drivers, many have chosen to leave due to the emergency situation.

This frame grab from a video taken by AFPTV shows people outdoors in Marrakesh on September 9, 2023, following a magnitude 7 earthquake that hit Morocco. (Photo by Faisal Baddour / AFPTV / AFP) (FAISAL BADDOUR/)

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Meanwhile, international aid begins to arrive. A contingent of Military Emergency Unit (UME) Spanish with 65 members is on its way to Morocco to help in the search and rescue tasks and a team of Spanish firefighters are heading to Marrakech to make themselves available to the Moroccan authorities.

Source: Elcomercio