Searching among the rubble, donating blood, mourning: images after the devastating earthquake in Morocco

taketonews

A house in the old quarter of Marrakech has been destroyed by the earthquake. The epicenter of the earthquake is in the Atlas Mountains, but the damage is also extensive in the city of Marrakech.

Several buildings in Marrakech have been damaged or collapsed.

Rescuers search for survivors and bodies under the rubble. In the areas that have been hit hardest, hospitals are filling up.

The earthquake had a magnitude of 6.8, according to the US Geological Survey. It is “one of the heaviest shocks in the country,” earthquake expert Läslo Evers of the KNMI told the ANP news agency.

Relatives mourn for deceased relatives and friends. By Saturday afternoon, the death toll from the earthquake was more than a thousand.

The small town of Amizmiz, south of Marrakech, was also hit hard by the earthquake.


Photo Abdelhak Balhaki/Reuters

The earthquake occurred around 11 p.m. on Friday evening. Residents of Marrakech fled outside and stayed the night in squares in the city.

The blood bank in Marrakech is urgently calling on residents to donate blood. Many are answering that call: there are long lines at medical centers for blood donations.


Photo Abdelhak Balhaki/Reuters

A man walks with his belongings through a heavily damaged neighborhood in Marrakech.

The damage in Marrakech, the city with more than 928,000 inhabitants, is extensive. Buildings and cars have been destroyed or damaged.


Photo Abdelhak Balhaki/Reuters

Residents of Marrakech took shelter outside last night after the earthquake because damaged buildings could collapse.

Old buildings, such as this mosque in a historic district of Marrakech, have also been badly damaged.


Photo Abdelhak Balhaki/Reuters

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