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

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:

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, 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.

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:

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 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.

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.”

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:

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:

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”.