Morocco earthquake: Chances of finding survivors are decreasing little by little – News

Rescue operations continue on Tuesday (12) in Morocco, more than 72 hours after the devastating earthquake that left about 2,900 people dead, but hopes of finding more survivors are dwindling.

The epicenter of the earthquake, which killed 2,862 people and injured 2,562 others, according to the updated report issued on Monday evening (11), was in a mountainous area in the Atlas Mountain range, where landslides make road access more difficult. Affected locations.

The earthquake that occurred on Friday night reached a magnitude of 7, according to the Moroccan Center for Scientific and Technical Research, and a magnitude of 6.8, according to the American Geological Center.

This was the strongest earthquake ever recorded in Morocco and caused the largest number of casualties in more than six decades.

The Red Cross requested more than 100 million US dollars, or about 493 million Brazilian reals, to meet urgent needs, which include health, water, sanitation and hygiene.

Moroccan rescue teams, with the support of foreign units, are trying to speed up the search for survivors and find shelter for hundreds of families who lost their homes.

But in some isolated areas, residents say they have not received any kind of assistance.

“We feel completely abandoned, and no one has come to help us,” says Khadija, a resident of the hard-to-reach town of Imolas. “Our houses have collapsed and we have nowhere to go. Where will all these people live?”

“The state did not come, and we did not see anyone. After the earthquake, they came to count the number of victims. Since then, there has been no one left. No civil protection, no emergency forces. No one is here.” “With us,” Mohamed Aitelkid complains amid the rubble.

AFP reporters saw helicopters delivering food to some isolated small villages.

The Moroccan army established field hospitals to treat the injured in isolated areas, such as the village of Asni in Al Haouz province, just over an hour from Marrakesh. Colonel Youssef Qamous told AFP that more than 300 patients received treatment.

The Moroccan government accepted the offer of four countries to send search and rescue teams: Spain, the United Kingdom, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates.

The leader of the Spanish firefighting team, Anika Cole, said, “The greatest difficulty lies in remote areas that are difficult to reach, as is the case here, but the wounded are transported by helicopter.”

Commenting on the possibility of finding survivors, she said: “In Türkiye [afetada por terremoto violento em fevereiro]We were able to find a woman alive six and a half days later. “There is always hope.” “It is also important that the bodies are found, because the families need to know [do óbito] He added, “And mourning was held.”