Morocco Earthquake: A Village Wiped Out, Hundreds Dead

It was delicate work for the searchers to remove the woman’s body from the rubble of a village that effectively ceased to exist in Morocco’s deadliest earthquake in over six decades. Her 25-year-old fiance, Omar Ait Mbarek, watched the digging Sunday with his eyes red and full of tears, surrounded by onlookers just kilometers from the quake epicenter in the Atlas Mountains, where many buildings have been destroyed and thousands more made uninhabitable.

Hundreds are still missing in this region of southeastern Morocco, where most buildings were built with stone and timber using traditional construction techniques. Almost 2,000 people lost their homes in villages near Moulay Brahim, where residents had been waiting for official government aid since the deadly 7.1 magnitude earthquake struck late on Friday.

With twisted steel reinforcement rods protruding from the debris, it was clear that the ancient structures were no match for the power of nature and man. Some villagers could escape from collapsing buildings, but others were trapped inside.

One of the earliest rescues occurred in Tikht, where a father and daughter were pulled out alive. Buried under concrete, the girl was not harmed, but her mother died.

Another dramatic rescue occurred in the village of Jinderis, where a man was rescued from a house that collapsed while he slept with his wife. The couples were trapped for several hours but survived the ordeal thanks to their quick thinking.

For villagers, however, the tragedy was a shattering blow to their livelihoods and a significant setback to their attempts at reviving their lives. Many people now live in tents on the streets of their villages, where there are few official refugees. Locals are organizing themselves, sharing resources, and helping each other.

Despite the destruction, some locals remain positive and determined to build a new future for themselves in their devastated communities. In the old city of Marrakech, UNESCO World Heritage site and tourist attractions that draw visitors who account for seven percent of the country’s economy, locals hope that more survivors will be found in the rubble.

Most Popular

More from Walops

RECOMMENDED FOR YOU

Tesla’s China-Made EV Sales Decline by 4.3% in November

Data from the China Passenger Car Association revealed on Tuesday that U.S. automaker Tesla saw a 4.3% year-on-year decline in sales of its China-made electric vehicles, totaling 78,856 units in November. However, deliveries of its locally produced Model 3 and Model Y vehicles rose by 15.5% compared...

South Korean Regulators Charge Meta $15 Million for Collecting User Information

South Korea's data protection agency has fined Meta Platforms, Facebook's parent company, approximately $15 million for collecting sensitive user data and sharing it with advertisers without proper legal grounds. The Personal Information Protection Commission reported that Meta gathered information on around 980,000 South Korean Facebook users, including...

UK to Enforce Disposable Vape Ban in 2025 Amid Efforts to Curb Teen Vaping

From next summer, it will be illegal to sell disposable vapes in England as the government seeks to tackle environmental harm and rising usage levels among children. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) said it had laid legislation to ban the sale of the...

A Brazilian Legal Battle: Musk’s $3 Million Fine

Elon Musk, the tech mogul behind Tesla, SpaceX, and now X (formerly Twitter), has been embroiled in a legal dispute in Brazil. A Brazilian judge has ordered the seizure of $3 million from Musk's assets to cover fines imposed on X for allegedly failing to comply with...

Starlink Takes Flight: High-Speed Internet Now on Over 1,000 Aircraft

In a significant milestone for aviation and connectivity, SpaceX CEO Elon Musk announced that Starlink, the company's satellite internet service, is now operational on over 1,000 aircraft. This achievement marks a substantial leap forward in providing passengers with seamless, high-speed internet access during their flights.Starlink has rapidly...

Finding Your Next Binge: Fire TV Gets AI-Powered Search for Personalized Recommendations

Feeling lost in the vast ocean of streaming content? Amazon Fire TV is introducing a new AI-powered search feature, a convenient solution to your dilemma. This innovative upgrade, powered by Amazon's large language model (LLM), is designed to ease the burden of choice by providing personalized content...

Israel to Unveil Plan for Replacing Hamas Governance in Northern Gaza

Israel will "soon" implement a plan to replace Hamas' governance in northern Gaza, according to Israeli National Security Advisor Tzachi Hanegbi. Speaking at Reichman University's annual Herzliya Conference, Hanegbi stated that the collapse of Hamas' military capabilities will create opportunities "for countries that desire an alternative government...

GameStop Stock Surges on Roaring Kitty’s Return

GameStop Corp. (GME) witnessed a significant surge in pre-market trading on Monday, June 3rd, 2024, following an unexpected Reddit post from Keith Gill, popularly known as 'Roaring Kitty.' Gill, a key figure during the meme stock frenzy of 2021, sparked the current surge by disclosing a staggering...

Safety vs Innovation: OpenAI Shaken by Executive Resignation

OpenAI, a leading research institute focused on artificial intelligence (AI), has been rocked by the departure of a key executive, Jan Leike. Leike, who led the company's "Superalignment" team, resigned publicly, citing concerns that the pursuit of flashy products overshadowed safety priorities.Leike's team focused on ensuring that...

LATAM Flight Makes Rough Landing in Auckland, 50 Passengers Injured

On Monday, a LATAM flight from Sydney to Auckland encountered severe turbulence, leading to the hospitalization of thirteen passengers. The airline, LATAM Airlines, stated that flight LA800 experienced a "technical event" causing significant movement during the journey. Despite not disclosing specific details about the incident, LATAM Airlines...

Escalation in Black Sea? Ukraine Says It Destroyed Russian Patrol Boat

Ukraine claimed Tuesday that its forces had destroyed a Russian military patrol boat on the Black Sea near the Crimean peninsula, annexed by Russia 10 years ago. The strategic waterway has become an increasingly important battleground of Russia's two-year invasion as Ukrainian forces claim a string of...

Guangzhou Bridge Disaster: Barge Crash Plunges Vehicles into Water, Two Confirmed Dead

On Thursday, Chinese state media reported a tragic incident in the Pearl River Delta near Guangzhou city, where two individuals lost their lives, and three are currently unaccounted for. The unfortunate event unfolded when a barge collided with a bridge over the Hongqili Waterway, causing a section...