On Thursday morning, an aftershock measuring 4.8 on the Richter scale struck central Morocco and was felt by residents of the Taroudant region during the night hours.
The aftershock occurred in the Ighil region of Al Haouz Province, southwest of Marrakesh, which is the epicenter of the first earthquake that struck the region late on Friday evening, leaving about 3,000 dead and causing widespread destruction in the region.
The tremor was recorded at approximately 6:35 am local time (5:35 GMT).
Resorting to primitive methods
With many roads still closed due to landslides, some Moroccan villagers resorted to primitive roads and used donkeys to transport supplies and supplies to residents in remote areas that are difficult to reach by vehicles, while others inspected the ruins of their homes in a state of grief over the loss of their loved ones.
The 7.2-magnitude earthquake that struck the High Atlas Mountains late Friday claimed the lives of at least 2,946 people and left 5,674 injured, according to the latest official figures, making it the worst earthquake in terms of death toll in Morocco since 1960 and the strongest since 2007. 1900 at least.
On the side of the road, Ido Hammad Mohamed, 42, from the remote village of Akandiz in the High Atlas, is sorting packages of relief supplies for his village, located 12 kilometers away and accessible only by donkey. He said that no government official had arrived in the village yet.
He added: "Many people died in my village. Some families lost 15 of their relatives, others 12 or 7."
He continued: "We need tents in particular. What we have is not enough. People, including children, are sleeping in the open and have only blankets."
Many of the supplies are transported and delivered by ordinary citizens to the mountain villages. Rough terrain and damaged roads made the government response patchy, with some of the worst-hit villages being the last to receive assistance. Field hospitals and shelters were set up in easily accessible locations.
Abdullah Hussein, 40, from the village of Zawit in the High Atlas, said: “There is no road here. No one can remove the rocks that collapsed from the mountain.”
"This is the sixth day after the earthquake. We are still sleeping in the open and we do not have blankets," he added. While he also placed supplies on the donkeys, he said they could only make the trip to his village twice a day.
The suffering of families
In the small village of Otagri, which was almost completely leveled and where four people were killed, survivors have spent five nights since the quake outdoors in a schoolyard, one of the few spaces not covered in rubble.
"It's really difficult. It's cold," said Saeed Hussein (27 years old), who returned to the village from his current home in Marrakesh to help after the earthquake.
He added that survivors fear aftershocks and are struggling to cope with the deaths and destruction.
He added: "We hide our feelings. You know that people here are a bit tough and can't show that they are weak or that they can cry, but inside you just want to go somewhere and cry."
The village had just received a shipment of tents provided by the government, but they were not waterproof, which was a major concern in a mountainous region where rain and snow abound.
Naima Wazou (60 years old), who lost eight of her relatives due to the earthquake, said, “Winter will come soon and the situation will be very difficult for people. Life here was difficult even when people were living in their homes. It snows here and tents will not solve the problem.”
In the small town of Talat Ni'aqoub, which was severely damaged but turned into a relief point, patients were receiving treatment in ambulances lined up next to a survivors' camp.
In the same town, student Iman Saeed (19 years old) inspected the ruins of her house after returning from the city of Fez, where she studies. She said that she lost 10 members of her family in the earthquake, including her brother.
She added: "All my memories are here. My family, my friends, my neighbors. Everyone died and lost their homes in this area."
She said, "My brother was a very compassionate young man. All the neighbors knew him and cried for him when he died because he was helpful and helpful to everyone. He did well in school and just passed the second-year high school exam this year."