What were going to be a delayed vacation For the Valencian Betto Gardur they have become a true nightmare. The young man took a flight to Marrakech last night and it was just when it landed in Morocco when the earth began to shake due to the 6.7 magnitude earthquake that hit the country.
The Valencian claims to be fine but acknowledges that there were moments of real panic in the international terminal as a result of the earthquake that has hit Morocco. It was 3 in the morning, local time, when the flight from Valencia touched down in Marrakech. Betto had just passed customs control and then the nightmare began: “I was just stamping the passport and I was going to put the suitcase through the scanner when the power went out and the tremor started and it was as if it went away the airport dome to fall”
Were moments of panic inside the airport and a lot of confusion. The Valencian narrates it with some nervousness due to the lack of information at the beginning: “The police began to scream and everyone ran. We didn’t know if a plane had crashed, if it was an attack…”
“It was a short minute but it became eternal”
“Was a scarce minute but it became eternal“. This is how he lived Frank Morenoa Valencian on vacation in Marrakeshthe earthquake of magnitude 7 on the Richter scale that last night it was registered in the Moroccan province of Al Haouz, where the majority of the fatalities of the event have been concentrated, which, for now, exceeds 630. The tremor surprised Moreno, already lying in the riad where he is spending a few days “that were going to be relaxing,” he jokes, along with to your couple.
“We were already in bed trying to rest ande soon we heard a very intense noise. ‘The subway is going to pass,’ I joked,” says Frank. But the noise, instead of decreasing, grew louder “until “It was deafening and the bed started moving from side to side.”
“There we were aware of what was happening. The decoration in the room began to fall to the floor and we stayed there watching how everything moved. We didn’t have time to react. It was a short minute but it became eternal”, says the Valencian. As soon as the tremor calmed down, they took their passports and went out to the inner courtyard of the riad, which was not damaged “because they are very solid structures.” In the patio, they joined the rest of the guests, all tourists. “From there I went to the street and it was all dust in suspension and all the families at the door.”he relates.
“A huge collective scare”
The image of the moment after the earthquake was for Moreno “very impressive. Children, mothers, grandparents in pajamas… everyone at the door crying scared. The motorcycles did not stop but within everything the capacity of endurance of the population was noticeable. We have not seen any injuries, but yes, a huge collective scare”, he assures.
We went out to see how La Medina is and it seems that except for some collapse, it is holding up. The shops are already opening and running. #Marrakesh #Morocco #Earthquake pic.twitter.com/eGbgz7TofG
—Frank Murray (@frankmurray) September 9, 2023
“Shops are opening”
The couple acknowledges that They couldn’t sleep and this morning they took to the street waiting to know if the return flight they had booked for tomorrow, Sunday, will finally leave. On his walk through Marrakesh yes they are seeing how the tremor has affected structures under construction or weaker but the city “is resuming activity. The shops are opening their doors in the Medina. “A lot of rubble but we haven’t seen any injuries, and we really want to get back to normal.”
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For now, the couple does not know what will happen tomorrow with their return flight. “We still have no information. We hope to know something as the hours go by,” they assure.
According to the information available so far, the more than 630 deaths recorded so far, the majority have been registered in the province of Al Haouz, while the second most affected is Taroudant, with 190 deaths. Behind them are Chichaua, with 89 deaths, Ouarzazate, with 30, Marrakesh, with 13, Azilal, with 11, Agadir, with 5 and Casablanca, where there are currently three deaths, to which is added a death registered in Yusufiya.