Morocco earthquake: Survivors sleep outside amid destruction

Many families in Marrakech spent their second consecutive night on the streets, concerned about their safety after the in over half a century left them fearing for their lives.

“I cannot sleep there,” Mouhamad Ayat Elhaj told Reuters news agency. Elhaj has slept on the streets near the city’s historic medina after finding signs of damage in his house.

“I am asking the authorities to help me and bring in an expert to assess whether it is possible for me to return to the house or not. If there is a risk, I will not return to the house,” he said.

Noureddine Lahbabi, a 68-year-old with four children, also prepared to sleep outside for a second night. “It’s a painful experience. When this happens to your brother or sister, it’s really painful,” he said.

Other families found open spaces away from the medina, along the roads, to spend the night on.

The historic medina in Marrakech is a popular attraction for both Moroccans and foreigners. Pictures showed religious sites, such as mosques in the area, damaged by the quake.

Moroccan Interior Ministry has said that so far 2,012 people have been killed from the in Marrakech and in other parts of the country. The Moroccan government said 2,059 people have also been injured, 1,404 of whom are in critical condition.

mk/wd (Reuters, AFP, AP, dpa)

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