Spain sends search and rescue teams in wake of devastating Moroccan earthquake

The Spanish motherland is sending search-and-rescue teams to help Moroccan authorities search and rescue survivors, after a rare and devastating earthquake struck its maritime neighbor across the Straits of Gibraltar, Friday night.

The plea for help came from Morocco after the northern African country reported the earthquake caused more than 2,100 deaths and 2,400 injuries.

The quake reportedly destroyed villages throughout the Atlas Mountains including Marrakech, leaving emergency workers attempting to reach isolated communities while many locals homeless left sleeping on streets.

The U.S. Embassy in Rabat said a small number of Americans may have been injured.

Moroccan authorities reported that most of the casualties and destruction occurred in Marrakech-Safi, a region home to nearly 5 million people. Since there are long distances between villages however, authorities said it would take some time to assess the extent of the earthquake’s devastation.

“I can confirm that Morocco has officially requested rescue and rescue aid from Spain,” Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said in a statement from New Delhi, where he was attending the G20 summit. Albares added that he received a call from his North African counterpart in Rabat asking for assistance earlier in the morning.

“Once again, I would like to convey all the condolences and solidarity of the Spanish Government and the Spanish people to Morocco and the Moroccan people, and especially to the almost one million Moroccans who live with us on a daily basis in so many parts of Spain,” Albares said.

As Spain sends assistance, the United Kingdom is also sending 60 search-and-rescue teams to the North African country, along with medical teams and supplies, the British foreign ministry announced today.

Several local news outlets have reported that rescue workers are searching through rubble in Marrakech and nearby mountain villages for remaining survivors. But with many of the injured in critical condition remote areas, the death toll may continue to rise.

Emergency services have had difficulty navigating the area since the quake struck in mountainous areas, forcing Moroccan armed forces and crisis support teams to send aerial support to the affected communities.

A number of vehicles equipped with basic necessities and illuminating devices are already on their way, according to official sources.

French foreign ministry spokesperson Anne-Claire Legendre said this morning that Morocco has not yet requested international assistance, but that the southwestern European country has told Moroccan officials they are ready to join their Spanish neighbor in deploying search and rescue teams.

No French citizens have been repatriated from Morocco since the earthquake, according to French media reports.

Several world leaders have already expressed support throughout the world as details about the Northern African tragedy continue to unfold.

“This is terrible news from Morocco. In these difficult hours, our thoughts are with the victims of the devastating earthquake.” said Olaf Scholz, Chancellor of Germany, on social media. As of now, the German Federal Agency for Technical Relief is getting ready to offer support to Morocco if needed.

In Germany, around 250,000 people are Moroccan immigrants or are of Moroccan descent.

“India is ready to offer all possible assistance to Morocco in this difficult time.” Said the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi.

European Union officials also announced on Saturday that their centers are keeping an eye on the crisis and are fully equipped to assist. The United Nations also responded in a similar manner. 

A magnitude 6.8 earthquake caused vibrations for a few seconds during the impact, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Nineteen minutes after the initial quake, a 4.9-magnitude quake was reported by the same agency. 

The disaster took place near the rural community of Ighil, located 45 miles south of Marrakech in the region of Al Haouz.

Earthquakes are uncommon in North Africa, but Lahcen Mhanni, director of the Seismic Monitoring and Warning Department at the National Institute of Geophysics, said this particular event was the strongest earthquake ever recorded in the mountainous region. 

In 1960, an earthquake of magnitude 5.8 struck the city of Agadir and killed about one-third of its residents.