ALBAWABA - As Moroccans continue to grieve the catastrophe that shook the nation later on Friday, as a 6.8-magnitude earthquake jolted the country, the death toll has exceeded the 2,000 mark while rescue teams raced to find survivors trapped in the rubble of devastated villages.
According to local reports, the earthquake killed at least 2,012 people and injured over 2,059, many of them critically. According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) the epicenter, which hit just after 11 p.m. local time, was 75 kilometers (46.6 miles) southeast of Marrakech, at a depth of 18.5 kilometers.
According to Morocco’s National Geophysical Institute, the quake is believed to be the strongest to have hit the North African country in the last 120 years.
The devastation is unimaginable as families have completely perished with no survivors, while others were rescued hoping for the safety of their loved ones as they hold on to every last bit of hope they have left.
A video of a woman in disbelief and shock has circulated the internet as she is believed to have lost 4 of her sons alongside her husband under the rubble of their destroyed home.
The earthquake struck 72 kilometers southwest of the tourist hub of Marrakesh, wiping out entire villages in rural areas.
Lahcen, a resident of the mountain village of Moulay Brahim, whose wife and four children were killed, said: "I've lost everything. I can't do anything about it now, I just want to get away from the world and mourn".
Al-Haouz province, where the epicenter of the earthquake was located, suffered the most deaths with 1,293, followed by the province of Taroudant with 452, AFP reported.
As she watched men digging graves to bury the victims, Bouchra, another resident of Moulay Brahim, said: "I saw the devastation of the earthquake live, and I'm still shaking. It's like a ball of fire that has swallowed up everything in its path,".
"Look where all these people are sleeping. There is no help for us, our houses have been cracked, and others destroyed like my daughter's house, which was wiped out. We are in a chaotic state," another survivor told AFP.
