TRANSCRIPT
Rescuers are searching villages reduced to rubble for any survivors of Morocco's deadliest earthquake in more than six decades, in a desperate race against time as the death toll rose to almost 2,700 and the scale of destruction became clearer.
Search teams from Spain, Britain and Qatar have joined efforts to find people buried under debris after Friday's 6.8 magnitude quake.
Moroccan Prime Minister Aziz Akhannouch has vowed to compensate those affected by the powerful quake.
“After this committee's meeting, there was an agreement and clear instructions from his Majesty (Mohammed VI) to compensate the citizens, who were affected. Indemnity will apply to allow the people to take part in the rebuilding of their homes."
With many homes built of mud, bricks and timber, or cement and breeze blocks, structures crumbled easily.
It was the North African country's most lethal earthquake since 1960 when a major tremor was estimated to have killed at least 12,000 people.
Among the dead was seven-year-old Suleiman Aytnasr.
The boy's father, Brahim, says he had been praying when the earthquake struck their hamlet on the outskirts of Talat N’Yaaqoub, one of the areas hardest hit by the disaster.
"There were guests here at my house, and I told my wife to take him to his room to sleep, she took him to this room . As she came back outside, the earthquake happened and the ceilings were destroyed and they fell on him. My wife asked me to check on him. I checked and I felt that he was dead, I told her “may God be with you” and she started saying "don't say this”."
With much of the quake zone in remote areas, the full impact of the earthquake has yet to emerge.
The authorities have not issued any estimates for the number of people still missing.
Emeritus Professor of earthquake engineering at Bristol University Colin Taylor says many of the structures in Morocco were ill-suited for such a large scale disaster.
“The problem with old masonry construction, particularly of the type that they've got in Morocco, many of these buildings could be several hundred years old, they're built with stone rubble skins on the outside and then inside there would be mud brick or stone surrounded by mud, and that is a very brittle material when it dries. And in an earthquake, it doesn't have sufficient deformability to absorb the shock. It cracks very quickly, and then it crumbles very quickly."
There is little left of the hamlets and settlements in Azzaden valley, in the Atlas mountains, described in some trekking websites as "the most authentic valley of the Toubkal Massif".
The area is popular with walkers and tourists and lies some 70 to 80 km south of Marrakech.
Authorities have erected tents to house survivors of the earthquake after their homes, fashioned out of mud bricks and timber or cement and breeze blocks, crumbled.
Food distribution points have also been set up.
Residents living in the Azzaden Valley, such as Mohamed Ait Si Bourhim, are hoping the government will rebuild their homes soon after having lost everything to the earthquake.
"Now we need tents for people to stay in because most of the people lost their homes or their houses are damaged. We need shelters for women and children after that if there is something solid we also need it, but for now, what we need are tents because people are sleeping outdoors. They put their clothes in other houses because their homes are destroyed. "
A European Commission spokesman has confirmed the EU will be releasing an initial $1.67 million ((1 million euros)) to the Red Crescent aid organization.
They had also provided high-quality satellite images of the region to help identify the affected areas.
EU spokesman Balasz Ujvari says the bloc was also in contact with the Moroccan authorities to offer full E-U civil protection assistance, should they require it.
"We activated our Copernicus satellite system, which has allowed us to provide high-quality satellite images to Morocco, which can help delineate the area affected by this natural disaster. On top of that, we've also announced 1 million euros as an initial step for our humanitarian partner organisations who operate on the ground. This notably the Moroccan Red Crescent organisation."
Meanwhile, the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, paid tribute to the victims of the earthquake in Morocco and observed a minute of silence.
Its president, Roberta Metsola, has described the images coming from Morocco as "horrific".
"Dear colleagues, only two days ago we heard about the terrible event in Morocco, where a devastating earthquake killed thousands and injured many more. The images are horrific with so many injured and homeless people. I wrote to the Moroccan Parliament President to express our deepest solidarity and to insist that Europe is standing ready to provide assistance. The (European) Parliament pays tribute to all the victims and their relatives, as well as to all the people of Morocco who are facing a tragic and difficult moment."
The United Nations estimates that 300,000 people were affected by the quake, which was made more dangerous by its relatively shallow depth.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller says the Biden administration is in close consultation with the Moroccan government about providing assistance.
"We are not aware at this point of any U.S. citizens who have died as a result of the earthquake. We are aware of a small number of injuries, but not any fatalities. But of course, the rescue efforts continue. So that number could change, or that fact could change. With respect to our efforts, Secretary Blinken spoke with the foreign minister of Morocco over the weekend, again from New Delhi at the G20. Expressed, first of all, his deepest sympathies and condolences for the loss of life suffered by the Moroccan people and the destruction to their country. They also discussed how the United States can best support the government of Morocco's leadership of the humanitarian response to the tragedy."
Despite the scale of the disaster, there is little visible sign of an adverse impact on tourism in Morocco.
There were no flight cancellations listed at the airport arrival and departure boards in Marrakech, which was also hit by the quake, on Monday afternoon.
Next month, the city is set to host the annual general meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.
